expanse

American  

[ik-spans] / ɪkˈspæns /

noun

1. an uninterrupted space or area; a wide extent of anything.

   an expanse of water.

   Synonyms:

   stretch, range, reach, sweep

2. something that is spread out, especially over a relatively large area.

   that great expanse, the sky.

3. expansion; extension.

   the wide expanse of scientific knowledge.

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expanse British  

/ ɪkˈspæns /

noun

1. an uninterrupted surface of something that spreads or extends, esp over a wide area; stretch

   an expanse of water

2. expansion or extension

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Etymology

Origin of expanse

1660–70; < New Latin expānsum, noun use of neuter of Latin expānsus, past participle of expandere to expand

Example Sentences

“Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land,” Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal, describing at length his hopes that Russia, Ukraine and America would all become business partners.

From The Wall Street Journal

Biologists typically posit that human ancestors learned to walk on two legs on the savanna's flat expanses.

From Scientific American

But its structure — in which soft expanses of consoling strings are the ground for interjections of somber trumpet and bursts of talkative flute — suggests the flutes are a single many-headed unit.

From New York Times

“So there’s no way to perfectly avoid it, even in an expanse of concrete without a plant in sight.”

From Los Angeles Times

Garden designers with plenty of experience with soils and plant habits might use them in places where they need to cover large expanses of ground, or where the plants can compete with other aggressive species.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• plain
• stretch
• tract
• wilderness