expanded
Americanadjective
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increased in area, bulk, or volume; enlarged.
an expanded version of a story.
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spread out; extended.
the expanded frontiers of the Roman Empire.
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Printing. Also (of type) wider in proportion to its height.
adjective
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Also: extended. (of printer's type) wider than usual for a particular height Compare condensed
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(of a plastic) having been foamed during manufacture by the introduction of a gas in order to make a light packaging material or heat insulator See also expanded metal
expanded polystyrene
Other Word Forms
- expandedness noun
- nonexpanded adjective
- self-expanded adjective
- semiexpanded adjective
- unexpanded adjective
Etymology
Origin of expanded
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; expand + -ed 2
Explanation
Something that is expanded has been increased in size. For example, an expanded edition DVD has many more special features than the standard edition. You might prefer the expanded edition of the diary, since it contains all the extra little tidbits they were afraid to include in the original, smaller version. An expanded retail zone will mean more stores with more options. On the other hand it will likely also mean an expanded zone of chaos and cars.
Vocabulary lists containing expanded
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two energy analysts pointed to a 2009 decision made by Ofgem to enable new wind farms to connect to the network before the grid had been expanded.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Tribes invoked expanded reservation boundaries in disputes over tax, tobacco and motor-vehicle compacts—areas that had previously been marked by cooperation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Over the years, the park has expanded and developed.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Meta Platforms unveiled a new AI model and expanded its compute deal to $35 billion; Oracle is building a $16.3 billion data center.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
As the population expanded, Malthus reasoned, its resource pool would be depleted, and competition between individuals would grow severe.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
