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elaborate

[ adjective ih-lab-er-it; verb ih-lab-uh-reyt ]
/ adjective ɪˈlæb ər ɪt; verb ɪˈlæb əˌreɪt /
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See synonyms for: elaborate / elaborated / elaborates / elaborating on Thesaurus.com

adjective
worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness: elaborate preparations; elaborate care.
marked by intricate and often excessive detail; complicated; ornate.
verb (used with object), e·lab·o·rat·ed, e·lab·o·rat·ing.
verb (used without object), e·lab·o·rat·ed, e·lab·o·rat·ing.
to add details in writing, speaking, etc.; give additional or fuller treatment (usually followed by on or upon): to elaborate upon a theme or an idea.
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Origin of elaborate

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin ēlabōrātus (past participle of ēlabōrāre ) worked out, equivalent to ē- intensive prefix + labōr- “work” + -ātus adjective suffix; see e-1, -ate1

synonym study for elaborate

2. Elaborate, labored, studied apply to that which is worked out in great detail. That which is elaborate is characterized by great, sometimes even excessive, minuteness of detail: elaborate preparations for a banquet. That which is labored is marked by excessive, often forced or uninspired, effort: a labored style of writing. That which is studied is accomplished with care and deliberation, and is done purposely, sometimes even having been rehearsed: a studied pose.

OTHER WORDS FROM elaborate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use elaborate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elaborate

elaborate

adjective (ɪˈlæbərɪt)
planned or executed with care and exactness; detailed
marked by complexity, ornateness, or detail
verb (ɪˈlæbəˌreɪt)

Derived forms of elaborate

Word Origin for elaborate

C16: from Latin ēlabōrāre to take pains, from labōrāre to toil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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