ENGLISH
REFERENCE

elaborate

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ɪˈɫæbɝˌeɪt// elab·o·rate

v. to give more details about something you have already said. You use this when someone asks you to explain your idea more clearly.

v. to provide more detail or a fuller explanation about a subject already mentioned. Intransitive when followed by a prepositional phrase; transitive when used to develop a complex theory or system.


SIMPLE

Could you elaborate on that point?

CONTEXTUAL

The manager asked the employee to elaborate on the proposal during the afternoon meeting.

COMPLEX

While the initial summary provided a broad overview of the findings, the lead researcher promised to elaborate on the specific statistical anomalies in the final report.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

1575, from Late Latin ēlabōrātus (“worked out”), past participle of ēlabōrō (“to work out”), from ē- (“out, forth, fully”) + labor (“work, toil, exertion”). More at e-, labour.

Usage

Commonly used as an intransitive verb followed by the preposition 'on'.

Pitfall

elaborate about the planelaborate on the planThe verb typically takes the preposition 'on' rather than 'about' when adding details to a topic.

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