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elaborate

/ɪˈlæbərət//ɪˈlæbərət/·adjective
rich in carefully arranged detail; intricately worked out
Fig. 1 — A plain dot sits in the middle doing nothing, and a tiny worker begins to circle it in slowly widening loops.
01Definition

Elaborate things carry their labour on their surface — the word comes from the Latin elaborare, 'to work out'. An elaborate ceiling, an elaborate plan, an elaborate excuse: each is built from many deliberate parts, arranged with effort. As a verb (pronounced /-reɪt/), to elaborate is to add that detail in speech or writing — 'could you elaborate?' is an invitation to keep working the idea. The adjective admires the result; the verb requests the process.

02In use
  • iThe palace ceilings are covered in elaborate gold patterns that took decades to complete.
  • iiThey devised an elaborate plan — meticulous down to the smallest detail — to smuggle the documents out of the archive.
  • iiiWhen the examiner asked her to elaborate, she gave two further examples.
03Collocations
  • an elaborate scheme
  • an elaborate ritual
  • elaborate on a point
  • elaborate decoration

Family elaboration (noun) · elaborately (adverb) · elaborate (verb, /-reɪt/)

04Relations

=intricate, ornate, detailed, complex, involved

≠simple, plain, subtle

06TOEFL & IELTS

The pronunciation split is the testable trap: adjective /ɪˈlæbərət/, verb /ɪˈlæbəreɪt/. Both exams literally ask you to do it — TOEFL speaking prompts and IELTS Part 3 follow-ups reward candidates who elaborate on their answers with reasons and examples. 'Elaborate on' takes the preposition; 'an elaborate system/ritual/scheme' are the core collocations.

07Asked
Why is 'elaborate' pronounced two different ways?
Because it is two words in one spelling. The adjective (detailed, intricate) is ih-LAB-uh-rut, ending in a soft 'rut'. The verb (to add detail) is ih-LAB-uh-rate, ending in a full 'rate' that rhymes with 'late'. Same letters, and the ending vowel tells you which one you have: -rut describes, -rate acts.
What does 'elaborate on' mean?
To say more about something — to develop it with further detail, reasons, or examples. 'Could you elaborate on that?' is a request to keep working the idea, not merely to repeat it. The verb takes the preposition on (or upon): you elaborate ON a point. It is the exact move exam speaking tests reward.
Does elaborate mean complicated?
Not quite — and the difference flatters. Complicated suggests hard to follow, often unintentionally. Elaborate suggests richly detailed by design, made with visible care: an elaborate ceiling, an elaborate meal. The scene above shows the admiring sense — a worker circling a plain dot, laying ring after ring of deliberate detail until it is dense and exact.
What is the difference between elaborate and detailed?
Detailed means full of particulars — a detailed report leaves nothing out. Elaborate adds intricacy and effort of arrangement, often for effect: an elaborate plan is not just thorough but ingeniously built, with many interlocking parts. All elaborate things are detailed; not all detailed things are elaborate. Elaborate carries a flourish detailed does not.
What does an examiner mean by 'please elaborate'?
They want you to extend your answer with reasons, examples, or consequences — not just more words, but more substance. 'It's good for health' becomes elaboration when you add why, how, and for whom. In IELTS and TOEFL speaking, the ability to elaborate unprompted is precisely what lifts a short answer into a strong one.
What is the noun form of elaborate?
Elaboration — and it names both the act and the thing added: 'the plan needs elaboration' (more detail is required) or 'a fine elaboration on the theme' (the detail itself). The adverb is elaborately ('an elaborately carved door'). Only the verb reaches for the preposition: you elaborate on a point, but you offer an elaboration of it.