English → Latin
“elaborate” in Latin
perficiōto finish, complete; to perfect; to carry out, execute, performscrībōto writecondōto put together; to build, establish; form, fashion; make, construct; to put away, store or treasure up; preserve; intercommentāriusmemorandum, notebook; diary, journal; a briefānxiusafeared, anxious, troubled, uneasynimiusexcessive, too great, too much; beyond measureperpoliōto polish thoroughly; to put finishing touches tomunditiacleanness, cleanliness; neatness, tidiness, elegance, finenessēlegānsfine, elegant, handsome; tasteful; fastidious, critical
The English word elaborate itself goes back to Latin labor, through ēlabōrātus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
elaborate v.
aliquid conficere, perficere (complete): scribere: condere (compose): commentari. ☞ Not elaborare aliquid, which is found only in a doubtful passage in the elder Pliny. The verb itself is found in classical prose only in infinitive and perfect participle passive.
Elaborated, etc.: Vid: ELABORATE.
elaborate adj.
magno labore confectus (in a good sense): operose perfectus (Hirt., B.G., 8, prooem.): anxius: nimius: *nimia diligentia elaboratus perfectus: perpolitus: nimis exquisitus (e.g., munditia). Elaborate elegance of style, anxia orationis elegantia (Gell.). An elaborate work, liber diligenter accurateque scriptus. Accurate without being painfully elaborate, accuratus et sine molestia diligens (e.g., elegantia, Cic., Brut., 38).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for elaborate?
- The usual Latin words for “elaborate” are perficiō, scrībō, condō; also commentārius, ānxius, nimius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.