expansive
Americanadjective
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having a wide range or extent; comprehensive; extensive.
expansive mountain scenery.
-
(of a person's character or speech) effusive, unrestrained, free, or open.
Our expansive host welcomed us warmly.
- Synonyms:
- gushing, gushy, unreserved, genial, outgoing, extroverted, sociable
-
causing expansion.
the expansive force of heat.
-
working by expansion, as an engine.
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Psychiatry. marked by an abnormal euphoric state and by delusions of grandeur.
adjective
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able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion
-
wide; extensive
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friendly, open, or talkative
an expansive person
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grand or extravagant
an expansive way of life
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psychiatry lacking restraint in the expression of feelings, esp in having delusions of grandeur or being inclined to overvalue oneself or one's work
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expansive
First recorded in 1645–55; expans(ion) + -ive
Explanation
Expansive is all about being able to grow or get larger. An expansive piece of land is large, an expansive mind is one that is always thinking of the big picture, an expansive vocabulary is one that holds lots of words. Warning: don't confuse expansive, "large," with expensive, "high priced." They differ by only one letter but mean very different things. A Big Mac may contain what McDonald's advertizes as an expansive all-beef patty, but it isn't expensive food.
Vocabulary lists containing expansive
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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This Week in Pop Culture: November 3 - 9, 2018
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Vocabulary from "John L. O'Sullivan on 'Manifest Destiny' " from 1839
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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.
Justice Neil Gorsuch seemed particularly aware of how expansive the government’s theory could become.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
The film is wide and expansive, but moves smoothly between narrative guardrails.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Upon entering the home, guests are greeted with an expansive living area that features a chic fireplace.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
True, there’s no pyrotechnic personality in the expansive field of gubernatorial hopefuls.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
“A code is similar: It’s a way to conceal a message. But a code can be more expansive, with word or phrase substitutions rather than individual letters.”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
