expansion

[ ik-span-shuh n ]

/ ɪkˈspæn ʃən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR expansion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of expanding.

the state or quality of being expanded.

the amount or degree of expanding.

an expanded, dilated, or enlarged portion or form of a thing: The present article is an expansion of one he wrote last year.

anything spread out; expanse.

Mathematics.

the development at length of an expression indicated in a contracted form, as a2 + 2ab + b2 for the expression (a + b)2.
any mathematical series that converges to a function for specified values in the domain of the function, as 1 + x + x2 + … for 1/(1 − x) when x < 1.

Machinery. that part of the operation of an engine in which the volume of the working medium increases and its pressure decreases.

an increase in economic and industrial activity (opposed to contraction).

additional content for a video game, card game, board game, etc., that significantly expands or alters the way the game is played: I really improved my deck with cards from the latest expansion. You can play the stand-alone expansion without ever buying the original game.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby expansion

expanding universe, expanding universe theory, expanse, expansible, expansile, expansion, expansion attic, expansion bend, expansion board, expansion bolt, expansion card

Origin of expansion

1605–15; < Late Latin expānsiōn- (stem of expānsiō) a spreading out. See expanse, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM expansion

ex·pan·sion·al, adjectivean·ti·ex·pan·sion, adjectivenon·ex·pan·sion, nouno·ver·ex·pan·sion, noun

pre·ex·pan·sion, nounre·ex·pan·sion, nounself-ex·pan·sion, nounsu·per·ex·pan·sion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for expansion

He recently put up $50 million for half the cost of the Kennedy Center expansion, where he is chairman of the board.
Patriotic Philanthropy: Not an Oxymoron|Eleanor Clift|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also has backed Medicaid expansion and a state-run exchange under Obamacare.
The Secret GOP Swing State Election Romp|John Avlon|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The era of expansion is over, to be replaced by an emphasis on ensuring the security of the existing members.
Did Vladimir Putin Just Save NATO?|Nico Hines|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Concerns about the proliferation of these labs date back to shortly after the expansion began in the early 2000s.
Growing Number of Biosafety Labs Raises Red Flags|Center for Public Integrity|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Royal Navy, Zambellas said, “is seeing signs of expansion—which is a really weird place to be.”
Britain's High-Tech New Plan to Rule the Waves|Bill Sweetman|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Commerce, however, fixed Kinshassa as its base of operation, and its expansion has been astonishing for that part of the world.
An African Adventure|Isaac F. Marcosson
And—just as a guide for moments of expansion—might it be ‘Tony’?
What a Man Wills|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
Private enterprise must be given the greatest possible freedom to continue the expansion of economy.
State of the Union Addresses of Harry S. Truman|Harry S. Truman
The contour of the face expresses the most powerful command, and exalted, boundless, expansion of thought.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, No. 487|Various
A little distance above the island what appeared to be two rivers flowed into the expansion.
The Long Labrador Trail|Dillon Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for expansion

expansion

/ (ɪkˈspænʃən) /

noun

the act of expanding or the state of being expanded

something expanded; an expanded surface or part

the degree, extent, or amount by which something expands

an increase, enlargement, or development, esp in the activities of a company

maths

the form of an expression or function when it is written as the sum or product of its terms
the act or process of determining this expanded form

the part of an engine cycle in which the working fluid does useful work by increasing in volume

the increase in the dimensions of a body or substance when subjected to an increase in temperature, internal pressure, etc

Derived forms of expansion

expansionary, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for expansion

expansion

[ ĭk-spăn′shən ]

n.

An increase in size.

The spreading out of a structure, such as a tendon.

Scientific definitions for expansion

expansion

[ ĭk-spăn′shən ]

An increase in the volume of a substance while its mass remains the same. Expansion is usually due to heating. When substances are heated, the molecular bonds between their particles are weakened, and the particles move faster, causing the substance to expand.

A number or other mathematical expression written in an extended form. For example, a2 + 2ab + b2 is the expansion of (a + b)2.

expansion

noun

QUIZZES

Words related to expansion

Words nearby expansion

Origin of expansion

OTHER WORDS FROM expansion

Example sentences from the Web for expansion

British Dictionary definitions for expansion

noun

Derived forms of expansion

Medical definitions for expansion

n.

Scientific definitions for expansion