elaborate
/ɪˈlæb.ər.ɪt/Having many carefully planned details or parts. Something elaborate involves a lot of effort and is more complex than usual. It can sometimes suggest more detail than is strictly needed.
- She arrived wearing an elaborate gown covered in gold embroidery.
- The team created an elaborate plan to surprise the director.
- The palace had elaborate carvings on every wall and ceiling.
To explain or describe something with more detail. When you elaborate, you build on a point you have already made by adding reasons, examples, or extra information.
- Could you elaborate on your answer, please?
- She elaborated on her research during the presentation.
- The candidate was asked to elaborate on his previous experience.
Adinary Nuance
As an adjective, elaborate is close to detailed, intricate, and complex, but each has a different focus. Detailed simply means having a lot of specific information, with no judgment attached. Elaborate adds the idea of care, scale, and sometimes excess — an elaborate ceremony feels grand and carefully staged, not just thorough. Intricate is about fine, delicate structure that is hard to follow, like a puzzle; elaborate is more about visible impressiveness and layers of planning. As a verb, elaborate is not the same as explain — you explain something from scratch, but you elaborate on something you have already introduced. In IELTS speaking and academic writing, "elaborate on" signals analytical depth, not just a longer answer.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Giải thích chi tiết
- Spanish
- Elaborado; elaborar
- Chinese
- 详细的；详细说明
- Japanese
- 詳細な；詳しく述べる
- Korean
- 정교한；자세히 설명하다
Etymology
From Latin "elaborare," meaning "to work out," built from "ex-" (out) and "laborare" (to work, labor). It entered English in the late 16th century, first as a verb meaning to produce something through great effort, then later as an adjective describing the result of that effort.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is 'elaborate' a verb or an adjective?
- It is both. As an adjective (pronounced /ɪˈlæb.ər.ɪt/), it describes something highly detailed or complex — like 'an elaborate ceremony.' As a verb (pronounced /ɪˈlæb.ər.eɪt/), it means to give more detail — like 'Please elaborate on your point.' The spelling is the same; only the ending sound changes.
- What is the difference between 'elaborate' and 'detailed'?
- 'Detailed' is neutral — it just means having a lot of specific information. 'Elaborate' carries the extra sense of effort, craftsmanship, or even excess. A 'detailed report' is thorough; an 'elaborate ceremony' feels grand and carefully staged. In academic writing, both work, but 'elaborate' has a stronger visual or structural connotation.
- Should I say 'elaborate more' or 'elaborate on'?
- In formal and academic English, 'elaborate on' is the standard phrase — for example, 'Could you elaborate on that idea?' Saying 'elaborate more' is understood, but it sounds slightly informal or non-native. For IELTS speaking and writing, always use 'elaborate on' followed by a noun or noun phrase.
- Is 'elaborate' a formal word?
- Yes, it leans formal to neutral. As a verb, it is very common in academic, professional, and IELTS settings. As an adjective, it also appears in everyday writing — for example, describing fashion, architecture, or plans. It rarely sounds out of place, but it would feel slightly elevated in casual spoken conversation.