expostulate

UK: /ɪkˈspɒstjʊˌleɪt/

US: /ɪkˈspɑstʃəˌleɪt/

US: (ik spos′chə lāt′)

Inflections of 'expostulate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

expostulates

v 3rd person singular

expostulating

v pres p

expostulated

v past

expostulated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pos•tu•late /ɪkˈspɑstʃəˌleɪt/   v. [no object] , -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to reason earnestly with someone by way of warning or rebuke:
   expostulated with the rebellious student.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pos•tu•late  (ik spos′chə lāt′), v.i., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done;
   remonstrate:
   His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.

• Latin expostulātus demanded urgently, required (past participle of expostulāre). See ex-¹, postulate
• 1525–35

ex•pos′tu•lat′ing•ly, adv. 
ex•pos′tu•la′tor, n. 
Synonyms

dispute, argue, protest; exhort, counsel.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

expostulate / ɪkˈspɒstjʊˌleɪt/ verb

1. (intransitive) usually followed by with: to argue or reason (with), esp in order to dissuade from an action or intention

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin expostulāre to require, from postulāre to demand; see postulate

exˌpostuˈlation noun

exˈpostuˌlator noun