Standard Lemma guide

expostulate

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɛksˈpɒstjʊleɪt/
  • General-American: /ɛksˈpɑstjʊleɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To protest or remonstrate; to reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of conduct [(often) with with].

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

reason with (somebody) for the purpose of dissuasion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: argue, reason

History

Etymology

From Latin expostulō (“demand, claim”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, ex- + postulate.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Greek: διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartýromai) — to protest
  • Greek: επιτιμώ (epitimó) — to protest
  • Māori: whakatāmaramara — to protest
  • Russian: усовещивать (usóveščivat’) — to protest
  • Spanish: expostular — to protest