expatiate

verb

ex·pa·ti·ate ek-ˈspā-shē-ˌāt

expatiated; expatiating

Synonyms of expatiate next

intransitive verb

: to move about freely or at will : wander

: to speak or write at length or in detail

expatiating upon the value of the fabric—

Thomas Hardy

expatiation

(ˌ)ek-ˌspā-shē-ˈā-shən

noun

Did you know?

The Latin antecedent of "expatiate" is "exspatiari," which combines the prefix ex- ("out of") with "spatiari" ("to take a walk"), itself from "spatium" ("space" or "course"). Exspatiari means "to wander from a course" and, in the figurative sense, "to digress." But when English speakers began using "expatiate" in 1538, we took "wander" as simply "to move about freely." In a similar digression from the original Latin, we began using "expatiate" in a figurative sense of "to speak at length." That's the sense of the word most often used these days, usually in combination with "on" or "upon."

Examples of expatiate in a Sentence

the naturalist is known for her willingness to expatiate on any number of issues relating to wildlife and the environment

Recent Examples on the Web Ostensibly, further studies are encouraged to expatiate this understanding. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022 With wit and elan to spare, Greene expatiates on the intrigue that ensues when David Sparsholt, an engineering student with a fiancée, Connie, and a plan to join the Royal Air Force, arrives at Oxford in 1940. —

Priscilla Gilman, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2018

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