Elaborated

Elaborated is the past tense and past participle of the verb elaborate. As a verb, to elaborate means to develop something in detail, to add information, or to explain more fully. It can be used transitively: “The researcher elaborated the methodology,” or intransitively: “She began to elaborate on her findings.” As an adjective, elaborated describes something produced with great care, complexity, or detail: “an elaborated design” or “an elaborated storyline.” The more common adjective form is elaborate, but elaborated appears when indicating the degree of development or refinement.

Etymology: from Latin elaborare, from ex- “out” + laborare “to work.” The term entered English in the early modern period, with elaboration referring to the process and its results. The noun elaboration denotes the act or result of elaborating.

Usage notes: The phrase elaborate on is widely used to mean “expand upon.” In specialized contexts, elaborated code denotes language with extensive detail and structure, contrasting with restricted code (as discussed in sociolinguistics). In technical writing, elaborated steps or an elaborated design signal a more detailed or refined version.

See also: elaboration, elaborate, elaborate design, elaborateness.