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expatiation

expatiation

9.9
Talking or writing for a long time with many details
  • noun
  • /ɛkˌspeɪʃiˈeɪʃən/
  • Formal
translation icon : explayación
  • The professor's expatiation on the topic of climate change captivated the entire audience.

Examples

  • EXPATIATION

    Academic text (2001)
  • That would be an expatiation.

    Blog text (15)
  • Unconnected expatiations, he could form a sleekly working artifact for presentable ersatz thinking.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I have attempted to relieve this density by means of an expatiation through some of Lonergan's source texts in the context of a consideration of his evolving appreciation of mysticism.

    Academic text (2001)
  • A French consul thought he could omit further expatiation on the subject of festivities held in Rome to celebrate the second marriage of the dauphin Louis because "a print was being etched."

    Academic text (1995)
  • She wrote an extensive expatiation about the history of Renaissance art in her thesis.

  • During the meeting, his expatiation on the project details helped everyone understand its complexities.

Synonyms

exposition
vsexpatiation
16 5.5

A clear explanation of an idea or subject that makes it easy to understand

focuses on long wide discussion rather than concise clarity
elaboration
vsexpatiation
8 4.9

Adding more detail or explanation to something

involves wider extended discussion rather than simply adding details
explication
vsexpatiation
  • Literature
2 8.1

A clear, detailed explanation that helps you understand a text or idea

emphasizes broad lengthy discussion rather than focused interpretation
delineation
vsexpatiation
  • Formal
1 6.8

A clear description that shows how something looks or feels

focuses on extended spoken or written discussion rather than vivid description
excursus
vsexpatiation
  • Literature
1 9.9

A part in a book or speech that leaves the main topic to talk about a related subject

stays on the main subject and develops it at length
expounding
vsexpatiation
  • Formal
7.7

A detailed explanation of an idea or topic, often written

leans toward extended discussion rather than systematic presentation
dilation
vsexpatiation
  • Formal
8.8

A long spoken or written discussion that gives many details

is similar but stresses long discussion over focused explanation

Antonyms

397 2.7

A short statement giving the main points without details

2 5.5

A shorter version of a book or text that keeps the main ideas

How Detailed

expatiation
  • Formal
9.9
elaboration
8 4.9
discussion
1.4
remark
371 1.4

Surface Forms

expatiation singular
expatiations plural

Morphology

expatiation = expatiate (transparent) = expatiate + ion

The noun is a straightforward nominalization of the verb 'expatiate' using the regular '-ion' suffix; meaning is directly the act or result of expatiating.

Etymology

Expatiation comes from Latin parts ex- 'out' and spatium 'space', the same root as space. It originally meant 'to walk out' or 'to wander', so an expatiation is like a long, wandering talk that moves across a subject and gives many details.