What does expostulation mean?
Expostulation refers to the act of arguing earnestly with someone in order to dissuade them from a decision or course of action, or the protest itself that such an argument expresses. When a friend offers expostulations about your plan to quit your job and sail around the world, they are not merely voicing disapproval — they are actively trying to talk you out of it, often with warmth, urgency, or exasperation. The word carries a formal, somewhat literary tone and appears most often in narrative prose and historical writing rather than casual speech. Its connotation is generally of well-meaning remonstrance: an expostulating person usually cares about the person being argued with, even if their objections grow heated. Derived from the Latin roots meaning 'to demand or reason out of', it remains a precise and expressive choice for describing persuasive objection.
nounThe act of earnestly and strongly reasoning with someone in order to dissuade them from a course of action; an expression of protest or objection made in an argumentative or remonstrating way.
- An earnest expression of protest, objection, or remonstrance, especially one aimed at persuading someone not to do something.
- The act of reasoning earnestly and argumentatively with someone in order to dissuade them.
"Despite his father's expostulations, he left school to join the theatre."
"All her expostulations could not persuade him to abandon the expedition."
"The chairman ignored the board's expostulation and pressed ahead with the merger."
The plural is common and often preferred when referring to multiple acts of protest or remonstrance.
"In spite of all their expostulations, the couple eloped."
When Jane Austen's characters 'expostulate', they aren't just complaining — they're launching a full verbal campaign to talk you out of it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expostulation
Expostulation derives from the Latin verb expostulare, meaning 'to demand urgently' or 'to remonstrate', formed from the prefix ex- ('out') plus postulare ('to demand'), the same root that gives us postulate. It entered English via the verb expostulate, attested from the mid-16th century, with the noun following shortly after in the late 16th century. Cognates include exposition and exponent, which share the postulare root but developed along different semantic paths.
Related word forms
How expostulation is actually used
Formal and rather literary in register; rare in everyday conversation but common in classic literature, where characters frequently engage in expostulation. It often implies a tone of earnest, sometimes agitated pleading rather than mere complaint.
Easily confused with expostulation
Exposition means a detailed explanation or public exhibition of something, whereas expostulation is an earnest act of protesting or arguing someone out of a course of action.