What does "expostulatory" mean?

Of, characterized by, or exhibiting expostulation.

What is a synonym for "expostulatory"?

Common synonyms include: advisory, deterrent, didactic, directive, discouraging, expostulative.

Expostulatory

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of, characterized by, or exhibiting expostulation.
"It is unquestionably a "Tendenzschrift," apologetic and expostulatory in tone, designed to defend and expound the writings and traditions of the Rabbis, whose "instructive parables and tales . . . are so many miniature paintings of the habits, manners, and modes of thinking, of an ancient people at a remote period of antiquity" ("Essay," London ed., 1826, p. 81)."

Synonyms

All synonyms

advisory deterrent didactic directive discouraging expostulative

Example

More examples

"It is unquestionably a "Tendenzschrift," apologetic and expostulatory in tone, designed to defend and expound the writings and traditions of the Rabbis, whose "instructive parables and tales . . . are so many miniature paintings of the habits, manners, and modes of thinking, of an ancient people at a remote period of antiquity" ("Essay," London ed., 1826, p. 81)."

Etymology

From expostulate + -ory.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.