expansive

[ik-span-siv]

adjective

1. having a wide range or extent; comprehensive; extensive.

   expansive mountain scenery.

2. (of a person's character or speech) effusive, unrestrained, free, or open.

   Our expansive host welcomed us warmly.

   Synonyms: gushing, gushy, unreserved, genial, outgoing, extroverted, sociable

3. tending to expand or capable of expanding.

4. causing expansion.

   the expansive force of heat.

5. working by expansion, as an engine.

6. Psychiatry.,  marked by an abnormal euphoric state and by delusions of grandeur.

expansive

/ ɪkˈspænsɪv /

adjective

1. able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion

2. wide; extensive

3. friendly, open, or talkative

   an expansive person

4. grand or extravagant

   an expansive way of life

5. psychiatry lacking restraint in the expression of feelings, esp in having delusions of grandeur or being inclined to overvalue oneself or one's work

Other Word Forms

• expansively adverb
• expansiveness noun
• nonexpansive adjective
• nonexpansiveness noun
• overexpansive adjective
• overexpansiveness noun
• unexpansive adjective
• unexpansiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of expansive¹

First recorded in 1645–55; expans(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

Last summer, Alito authored a decision arguing that parents had an expansive right to block children from accessing books in public schools that conflict with the their anti-LGBTQ beliefs.

Read more on Salon

Dutch Bros Coffee, the drive-thru coffee chain that has gained a loyal following for its expansive menu and cheery energy, is expanding its footprint in Los Angeles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The judges called it "an intimate and expansive epic about two people finding a pathway to love and each other", adding: "Rich in meditations about class, race and nationhood, this book has it all."

Read more on BBC

County, at its best, comes across as urbane, lively, tolerant, expansive, with a sense of humor about itself.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Saint Etienne universe is expansive by nature, and the band’s 13 albums are only the tip of the iceberg.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• extensive 
• far-reaching 
• inclusive 
• wide-ranging