expansive

American  

[ik-span-siv] / ɪkˈspæn sɪv /

adjective

1. having a wide range or extent; comprehensive; extensive.

   expansive mountain scenery.

2. (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

3. tending to expand or capable of expanding.

4. causing expansion.

   the expansive force of heat.

5. working by expansion, as an engine.

6. Psychiatry. marked by an abnormal euphoric state and by delusions of grandeur.

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expansive British  

/ ɪkˈspænsɪv /

adjective

1. able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion

2. wide; extensive

3. friendly, open, or talkative

   an expansive person

4. grand or extravagant

   an expansive way of life

5. psychiatry lacking restraint in the expression of feelings, esp in having delusions of grandeur or being inclined to overvalue oneself or one's work

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Other Word Forms

• expansively
  adverb
• expansiveness
  noun
• nonexpansive
  adjective
• nonexpansiveness
  noun
• overexpansive
  adjective
• overexpansiveness
  noun
• unexpansive
  adjective
• unexpansiveness
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

Expansive living spaces fill the main floor of the residence, including a stunning sitting room with a retractable glass wall that opens the area to another outdoor seating space.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Appeared in the January 17, 2026, print edition as 'The Duke’s Expansive Jazz'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

"Expansive support teams, premium travel and luxury accommodations often inflate budgets without proportionate creative impact," said veteran producer Mukesh Bhatt.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

Expansive visions of lasting magnitude spur George, too, but the endgame is dominating all he surveys.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025

Expansive vistas loom before us, ahead and to the right, while Squaw Peak now presents the appearance of a vast sky-line crater.

From The Lake of the Sky Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada, its History, Indians, Discovery by Frémont, Legendary Lore, Various Namings, Physical Characteristics, Glacial Phenomena, Geology, Single Outlet, Automobile Routes, Historic Towns, Early Mining Excitements, Steamer Ride, Mineral Springs, Mountain and Lake Resorts, Trail and Camping Out Trips, Summer Residences, Fishing, Hunting, Flowers, Birds, Animals, Trees, and Chaparral, with a Full Account of the Tahoe National Forest, the Public Use of the Water of Lake Tahoe and Much Other Interesting Matter by James, George Wharton

Related Words

• extensive
• far-reaching
• inclusive
• wide-ranging