expatiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to enlarge in discourse or writing; be copious in description or discussion.
to expatiate upon a theme.
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Archaic. to move or wander about intellectually, imaginatively, etc., without restraint.
verb
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to enlarge (on a theme, topic, etc) at length or in detail; elaborate (on)
-
rare to wander about
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expatiate
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin expatiātus, past participle of ex(s)patiārī “to wander, digress,” equivalent to ex- “from, out of, beyond” + spatiārī “to walk about,” derivative of spatium “area, space, playing field, racetrack”; see -ate 1
Explanation
The verb expatiate means "to add details to in order to clear up." If your story is confusing to everyone who hears it, certain key parts must be missing. Better expatiate so that people can understand it. To pronounce expatiate correctly, accent the second syllable: "ex-PAY-she-ate." When you expatiate on a piece of writing, you add details. The goal is to make your ideas clearer to readers, perhaps by offering an example to help them understand. Teachers can tell when you are expatiating and when you are just adding to what you've written, say, to reach a certain length requirement. That's usually called "padding."
Vocabulary lists containing expatiate
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The Scarlet Letter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s all there in the Reuters reporting, and there is no need to expatiate on the obvious immorality of the operation, quite apart from its colossal stupidity.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2024
Do not be afraid to expatiate on all the ways you are a bigger person — there are probably lots!
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2020
We took long walks in the botanical garden in the Bronx, where he could expatiate on every species of fern.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 26, 2017
Did Mr. Isherwood also see these plays and respond similarly? — drjp1025, Los Angeles Ben Brantley: I said pretty much what I wanted to say in those reviews, though you can always expatiate, I suppose.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2013
It was suddenly cool to know stuff, to expatiate on the causes of the Spanish Civil War.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Groucho expatiated on Lear’s relationship to his daughters.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 25, 2014
Scraping the last few grains around our truffle-oily plates with our forks, Harris and I mournfully expatiated on the declining status of the London cab trade.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2012
First, however, he had insisted upon having his cabled instructions from the Son-of-Heaven minutely double-checked by cable while he expatiated in Burlington House upon the loveliness of Chinese Art.
From Time Magazine Archive
As a freshman, he expatiated on an assigned English essay subject: "Status Symbols."
From Time Magazine Archive
Dr. Trefusis expatiated at somewhat galling length upon my achievements; which accolades Lord Dunmore received with kind pleasure, saying, “Faith, excellent! Excellent! You are brave boys, all of you.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
When the question is general enough, they move quickly from answering it to expatiating on general themes.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 15, 2015
Roundly expatiating on the merits of his own sitters, John once took Davidson to task for being less concerned with the intellectually than the financially great.
From Time Magazine Archive
Afterward, he would conduct a prayer meeting, invoking Hindu, Muslim and Christian texts while expatiating on, among other things, the potency of nonviolence.
From Time Magazine Archive
Mr. Cutmore, in his defence, began by expatiating on the superior excellence of his ham in general, and on the slices sent to the complainant in particular.
From Mornings at Bow Street A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald' by Wight, John
Before I could make any reply the Major was shaking a hand of either of us, rapturously expatiating over his good luck at meeting us.
From Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II by Downey, Edmund
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
