Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

expansionist

American  
[ik-span-shuhn-ist] / ɪkˈspæn ʃən ɪst /

noun

  1. someone who advocates a policy of expansion of territory, currency, political influence, or other forms of power.


adjective

  1. relating to, advocating, or arising from a policy of expansion of territory, currency, political influence, or other forms of power.

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.

See Examples For:

This expansionist push brought these cultures into new confluence and conflict.

From BBC Jul. 4, 2026

But the market has since soured on expansionist AI ambitions, with Oracle shares falling about 19% in the last month and Nvidia declining some 13%.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 4, 2025

It had long been fighting expansionist wars, extending the kingdom to include more and more of East Africa.

From BBC Feb. 21, 2025

He explicitly cited “manifest destiny” in describing his expansionist ambitions for taking control of the Panama Canal and colonizing Mars.

From Slate Jan. 20, 2025

The Olmec, he thought, were the Romans of Mesoamerica, a magisterial society that “established the pattern which, through the centuries, was to be followed by other expansionist Mesoamerican cultures.”

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com