expatiate
|ex-pa-ti-ate|
/ɪkˈspeɪʃieɪt/
to wander (in speech or movement)
Etymology
'expatiate' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'expatiari', where 'ex-' meant 'out of' and 'spatiari' meant 'to walk'.
'expatiari' (Late Latin) passed into Medieval/early Modern Latin and then into English as 'expatiate', retaining the sense of moving beyond limits; the modern English verb 'expatiate' developed from these Latin forms.
Initially it meant 'to walk out or roam freely', but over time it evolved into its current primary meaning 'to speak or write at length or in detail'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to speak or write at length or in great detail; to elaborate or discourse (often used with 'on' or 'upon').
In the lecture she would expatiate on the connections between art and politics.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/10 18:16