Definition

A detailed explanation or discussion about a topic, often involving elaboration or expansion on ideas.

Example

The professor's expatiation on the subject helped the students understand it better.

Conversation

I was reading about expatiation in my literature class today.

Oh really? What does it mean exactly?

It's basically when someone goes into detail about a topic.

That sounds interesting! I love when people expatiate on subjects they're passionate about.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Expatiation → It is formed from "ex-" (meaning out of or from) and "pati" (from Latin "patior", meaning to suffer or endure) and the suffix "-ation" (indicating a process or action). The word "expatiation" refers to the process of speaking or writing at length or in detail, as if one is moving out of the confines of a topic.

Memory Tip

Think of 'going out of' ('ex-') the usual limits of a topic to 'speak' or 'write' in detail — that's what expatiation means.

Visually Confused Words