elaborate
- Involving many carefully arranged parts or details; intricate and complex in design or execution.
- As a verb (ih-LAB-uh-rayt): to explain or describe something in more detail.
In a sentence
- The wedding cake featured an elaborate design of hand-painted sugar flowers.
- Could you elaborate on what you meant by 'structural changes' in the organization?
Usage note. Note that the adjective is pronounced with a short final syllable ('-ut'), while the verb form shifts stress and ends in '-ayt'—a common source of confusion in speech.
Where it comes from
English elaborate · entered English 16th c.
From Latin 'elaboratus,' past participle of 'elaborare,' meaning 'to work out,' composed of 'ex-' (out) and 'laborare' (to labor, from 'labor,' toil). It entered English in the 16th century, first as a verb meaning 'to produce by effort,' with the adjective sense following soon after.