Elaborate
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Тo develop in detail or complexity. transitive
"[…] by the time of the subsequent coronation, when the Prussian king put the crown on his own head in child-like belief of the obsolete doctrine called divine right, the untiring statesman had elaborated his scheme of reform."
- 2 work out in detail wordnet
- 3 To expand/enlarge in detail. intransitive, sometimes
"What do you mean you didn't come home last night? Would you care to elaborate?"
- 4 make more complex, intricate, or richer wordnet
- 5 add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing wordnet
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- 6 produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product wordnet
- 1 Complex, detailed, or sophisticated.
"After reading a long, elaborate description, I was impressed but no wiser."
- 2 Intricate, fancy, flashy, or showy.
"I stared for hours at the elaborate pattern in the rug."
- 1 developed or executed with care and in minute detail wordnet
- 2 marked by complexity and richness of detail wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Let's take time out to elaborate a strategy."
Etymology
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.
Related phrases
More for "elaborate"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.