expostulation

IPA/ɪkˌspɒstʃəˈleɪʃn/
IPA/ɪkˌspɑːstʃəˈleɪʃn/

expostulation — noun

  • expostulationsingular
  • expostulationsplural

1. a strong, reasoned argument or remark made to someone in order to express disagr

1.nounC2
Definition

a strong, reasoned argument or remark made to someone in order to express disagreement with their actions or intentions, usually in an attempt to persuade them to change their mind

Example

Diego ignored his father's expostulations and rode his motorcycle across the desert.

expostulations with possessive noun 'father's'

The teacher's expostulations failed to stop the students from climbing the old oak tree.

Common collocations
  • father's / mother's / teacher's / lawyer's expostulations
  • despite expostulations
  • expostulations about [topic]
  • repeated expostulations
  • expostulations failed to + [verb]
Synonyms
  • protest

    broader term; can be emotional or physical, not necessarily reasoned

  • remonstrance

    very similar in register and meaning; slightly more common in legal or political contexts

  • objection

    more neutral in register; can be a simple statement of disapproval without the earnest reasoning

  • complaint

    less formal and often about personal dissatisfaction rather than principled disagreement

Antonyms
  • agreement

    the opposite of expressing opposition

  • approval

    the opposite of expressing objection

Usage Note

A formal and literary word, most often found in written narrative rather than spoken conversation. Frequently appears in the construction 'despite [possessive] expostulations'.

Common Mistakes

His expostulation was very loud and angry.
His protest was very loud and angry.
'Expostulation' describes a reasoned argument, not an emotional outburst, so using it with 'loud and angry' sounds unnatural.
She made an expostulation about the cold pizza.
She complained about the cold pizza.
'Expostulation' is too formal and weighty for trivial everyday complaints.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve expressing disagreement, but 'expostulation' is distinctive for its combination of formality and reasoned persuasion. A 'protest' may be emotional, loud, or physical — people can protest by marching or shouting — while an 'expostulation' is always a verbal, argumentative act. 'Remonstrance' is the closest synonym, sharing the same formal register and persuasive intent, though it appears more often in political or ecclesiastical writing. 'Objection' is the most neutral and widely applicable term: anyone can raise an objection in any setting, from a courtroom to a casual meeting. 'Complaint' leans toward personal grievance rather than principled opposition — you complain about noisy neighbors, but you would expostulate with someone who made a reckless decision. For example: 'The senator's expostulations fell on deaf ears' sounds fitting, while 'The senator's complaints fell on deaf ears' suggests whining rather than reasoned argument.

protest ↗remonstranceobjection ↗complaint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • despite [possessive] expostulations
  • [possessive] expostulations fell on deaf ears

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from Middle French 'expostulation', from Latin 'expostulatio' ('a demanding, complaint'), derived from 'expostulare' ('to demand urgently, to complain'), which combines the prefix 'ex-' ('out, thoroughly') with 'postulare' ('to demand, to claim'). The sense shifted over time from 'urgent demand' to 'earnest protest made through reasoning'.

First known use

1540

1540, in the meaning defined above