expostulation

American  

[ik-spos-chuh-ley-shuhn] / ɪkˌspɒs tʃəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of expostulating; remonstrance; earnest and kindly protest.

   In spite of my expostulations, he insisted on driving me home.

2. an expostulatory remark or address.

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Etymology

Origin of expostulation

1580–90; < Latin expostulātiōn- (stem of expostulātiō ) complaint. See expostulate, -ion

Explanation

Expostulation is an expression of protest, not a rant exactly, but often lengthy. If you have parents, you might be more familiar with the term "lecture," an expostulation on why you should never do the things you actually want to do. If you've done any geometry proofs, you know that postulate means to put forward an assumption. Expostulate means to take that assumption away. For instance you might postulate that it's a good idea for you and your friends to drive to the beach in the middle of the night, but your parents might expostulate that it's not safe.

Example Sentences

With an expostulation of wonder, the Dalai Lama sat back and clasped his hands together.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2014

How do you say "a handbag"? without falling short of Dame Edith Evans's most famous expostulation?

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2012

At first glance it seemed curious that the editors of Nature bothered to print Professor Stark's expostulation at all.

From Time Magazine Archive

Democracy, republished this week for the first time in a quarter-century, is one of the two novels Adams wrote in his lifelong expostulation with a nation that failed to give him his birthright.

From Time Magazine Archive

The circle closed up again with a running murmur of expostulation; it was a minute before I could see anything at all.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald