elaborate

1 of 2

adjective

elab·​o·​rate i-ˈla-b(ə-)rət How to pronounce elaborate (audio)
1
: planned or carried out with great care
took elaborate precautions
2
: marked by complexity, fullness of detail, or ornateness
elaborate prose
elaborately adverb
elaborateness noun

elaborate

2 of 2

verb

elab·​o·​rate i-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce elaborate (audio)
elaborated; elaborating

intransitive verb

1
: to expand something in detail
would you care to elaborate on that statement
2
: to become elaborate (see elaborate entry 1)

transitive verb

1
: to work out in detail : develop
elaborate a theory
2
: to produce by labor
3
: to build up (something, such as complex organic compounds) from simple ingredients
elaboration noun
elaborative adjective

Example Sentences

Adjective Jumping spiders, the largest family of spiders, have excellent eyesight and perform elaborate courtship and threat displays, often characterized by ritualized body postures and leg waving. Simon Pollard, Natural History, March 1995
Mostly, I think, because it's wicked hot today, I've been having elaborate fantasies about the perfect hot-weather lunch: two dozen freshly opened Little Necks and a couple bottles of ice-cold lager. None of that red "cocktail" sauce on 'em either, just lemon and coarse black pepper. Vladimir Estragon, Waiting for Dessert, 1982
On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850
They made elaborate preparations for his visit. I see now that her behavior was all part of an elaborate plan. The dancers were wearing elaborate costumes. He told the story in elaborate detail. Verb … the National Weather Service … advised all citizens in New Orleans's water-filled neighborhoods "to take the necessary tools for survival." The Weather Service elaborated: "Those going into attics should try to take an axe or hatchet with them so they can cut their way onto the roof to avoid drowning should rising flood waters continue to rise into the attic." Christopher Cooper & Robert Block, Diaster, 2006
In each evening's sleep sustained dream scenarios, elaborated over periods lasting up to an hour, alternate with thought-like mentation in 90-minute-cycles. Jeffrey Saver, London Review of Books, 4 Aug. 1988
I'll be glad to elaborate if you want to hear more. She was asked to say more about her earlier statements, but she declined to elaborate. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Since then, the contest has expanded across Europe and beyond – Israel and Australia are both entrants – with ever-more elaborate staging and eye-popping costumes. Jill Lawless, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 May 2023 The service lasted around two hours, ending around 1pm, before the couple returned to the palace in an elaborate golden state coach to make an appearance alongside their family on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 6 May 2023 There’s not an elaborate score that everyone reads. Elizabeth Myong, Dallas News, 5 May 2023 Of course, King Charles and Queen Camilla will wear elaborate traditional robes at Saturday's ceremony. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 4 May 2023 The elaborate coronation rituals still help legitimize the royal transition — and sell the royal brand. Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2023 There have been elaborate presentations about its design and Starship was described as the vehicle that underpins SpaceX’s founding purpose: sending humans to Mars for the first time. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023 That will also mean improving NATO’s air defenses — a major shortcoming from the shrinking militaries of the last 30 years, when few imagined Russian missiles raining down on Europe — and more numerous and elaborate troop exercises, visible to Moscow. Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2023 The truth is that elaborate schemes to reach for yield are totally unnecessary, as almost all Social Security experts know. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2023
Verb
Smith-Petersen — who married Keough eight years ago — did not elaborate further on any details, including their daughter's name. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 14 May 2023 However, the newsletter’s author did not elaborate on how, since the meme’s co-option by hate groups in the mid-2010s, Matt Furie, the illustrator who originally created Pepe the Frog, has led a campaign to reclaim the frog from its association with hate speech. Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 11 May 2023 Musk, who leads other companies including Tesla, didn’t elaborate further on the identity of the incoming CEO. wsj.com, 11 May 2023 Reckoning Part One' | Credit: Christian Black/Paramount The director confirms that MCU actress Hayley Atwell has a major role in the film but declines to elaborate too much on its nature. Clark Collis, EW.com, 10 May 2023 The instructions tell ChatGPT to elaborate on its answer. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 May 2023 Thornton did not elaborate on whether there is a connection between the two shootings. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2023 Or Harrison needed a break from elaborating during his longest and most extensive interview session of the year. Callie Caplan, Dallas News, 19 Apr. 2023 Thompson said there was a racial component to the shooting but declined to elaborate. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elaborate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Latin elaboratus, from past participle of elaborare to work out, acquire by labor, from e- + laborare to work — more at laboratory

First Known Use

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of elaborate was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near elaborate

Cite this Entry

“Elaborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elaborate. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

elaborate

1 of 2 adjective
elab·​o·​rate i-ˈlab-(ə-)rət How to pronounce elaborate (audio)
: made or done with great care or with much detail
elaborate plans
an elaborate design
elaborately adverb
elaborateness noun

elaborate

2 of 2 verb
elab·​o·​rate i-ˈlab-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce elaborate (audio)
elaborated; elaborating
1
: to work out in detail : develop
elaborate an idea
2
: to give more details
elaborate on a story
elaboration noun
elaborative adjective

Medical Definition

elaborate

transitive verb
elab·​o·​rate i-ˈlab-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce elaborate (audio)
elaborated; elaborating
of a living organism
: to alter the chemical makeup of (as a foodstuff) to one more suited to bodily needs (as of assimilation or excretion)
especially : to build up (complex organic compounds) from simple ingredients
the toxin elaborated by the tetanus bacterium

More from Merriam-Webster on elaborate

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