expostulate

English

Etymology

From Latin expostulatus, past participle of expostulo (“demand, claim”) from ex- +‎ postulo (“demand”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈpɒstjʊleɪt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈpɑstjʊleɪt/

Verb

expostulate (third-person singular simple present expostulates, present participle expostulating, simple past and past participle expostulated)

1. (intransitive) To protest or remonstrate; to reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of conduct. [from 16th c.]
   • 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:

     The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin His creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable; so without help, abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “XI, "The Abbot’s Ways"”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):

     […] he affectionately loved many persons to whom he never or hardly ever shewed a countenance of love. Once on my venturing to expostulate with him on the subject, he reminded me of Solomon: “Many sons I have; it is not fit that I should smile on them.”

   • 1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:

     Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong.

Synonyms

• challenge, demur, except, inveigh, kick, object, protest, remonstrate, squawk

Translations

to protest

• Greek: διαμαρτύρομαι (el) (diamartýromai), επιτιμώ (el) (epitimó)
• Maori: whakatāmaramara
• Spanish: expostular

Latin

Verb

expostulāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of expostulō