expansionism

[ik-span-shuh-niz-uh m]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR expansionism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a policy of expansion, as of territory or currency: the colonial expansionism of Europe in the 19th century.

Origin of expansionism

First recorded in 1895–1900; expansion + -ism

Related formsex·pan·sion·ist, noun, adjectiveex·pan·sion·is·tic, adjectivean·ti·ex·pan·sion·ism, nounan·ti·ex·pan·sion·ist, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for expansionism

imperialism, development, progress

Examples from the Web for expansionism

Contemporary Examples of expansionism

Haters back then called it “mosque madness” and “Islamic domination and expansionism.”
Why the Ground Zero Mosque Is Worth Saving
Michael Daly
April 11, 2014
It is vital to our credibility in the entire Middle East that we insist on an end to Israeli expansionism.
Is Gingrich’s Hard Line on Palestine Paid for by Sheldon Adelson?
Wayne Barrett
January 18, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for expansionism

expansionism

noun

the doctrine or practice of expanding the economy or territory of a country

Derived Formsexpansionist, noun, adjectiveexpansionistic, 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