expression

[ ik-spresh-uhn ]

noun

1. the act of expressing or setting forth in words:

   the free expression of political opinions.

   Synonyms: statement, assertion, declaration, utterance

2. a particular word, phrase, or form of words:

   old-fashioned expressions.

   Synonyms: idiom, term

3. the manner or form in which a thing is expressed in words; wording; phrasing:

   delicacy of expression.

   Synonyms: phraseology, diction, language

4. the power of expressing in words:

   joy beyond expression.

5. indication of feeling, spirit, character, etc., as on the face, in the voice, or in artistic execution:

   the lyric expression embodied in his poetry.

   Synonyms: sign, manifestation

6. a look or intonation expressing personal reaction, feeling, etc.:

   a shocked expression.

   Synonyms: air, aspect

7. the quality or power of expressing an attitude, emotion, etc.:

   a face that lacks expression; to read with expression.

8. the act of expressing or representing, as by symbols.
9. Mathematics. a symbol or a combination of symbols representing a value, relation, or the like.
10. Linguistics. the stylistic characteristics of an utterance ( meaning ).
11. Linguistics. the system of verbal utterances specific to a language ( content ¹ ).
12. the act of expressing or pressing out.
13. Computers. a combination of variables, constants, and functions linked by operation symbols and any required punctuation that describe a rule for calculating a value.
14. Genetics.
    1. the action of a gene in the production of a protein or a phenotype.
    2. expressivity ( def 2 ).

expression

/ ɪkˈsprɛʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of transforming ideas into words
2. a manifestation of an emotion, feeling, etc, without words

   tears are an expression of grief

3. communication of emotion through music, painting, etc
4. a look on the face that indicates mood or emotion

   a joyful expression

5. the choice of words, phrases, syntax, intonation, etc, in communicating
6. a particular phrase used conventionally to express something

   a dialect expression

7. the act or process of forcing or squeezing out a liquid
8. maths a variable, function, or some combination of constants, variables, or functions
9. genetics the effect of a particular gene on the phenotype

Derived Forms

• exˈpressional, adjective
• exˈpressionlessly, adverb
• exˈpressionless, adjective

Other Words From

• ex·pression·al adjective
• ex·pression·less adjective
• ex·pression·less·ly adverb
• preex·pression noun
• reex·pression noun
• super·ex·pression noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of expression¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin expressiōn- (stem of expressiō ) “a pressing out.” See express, -ion

Synonym Study

See phrase.

Example Sentences

"MiRNAs are small RNA molecules that do not encode proteins like most genes do, yet they play essential roles in gene regulation by repressing the expression of target genes," added Dr Tian.

From Science Daily

You never know how she’s going to react and while her large eyes are often sullen and sad, her expression unreadable, Dyrholm’s are wide and bright, verging on the edge of mania.

From Los Angeles Times

"We saw binding at these spots but no changes in gene expression," he says, "which really forced us to think more broadly and explore the full genome rather than just a couple of sites."

From Science Daily

But this soft-jab tragedy never finds the depth of expression to become a truly layered tale about choices, regrets and what we do with the rounds we have left.

From Los Angeles Times

In his interview with Nick Robinson, he spoke about how his role was making judgements about how to balance freedom of expression with protecting audiences from harmful content on Meta.

From BBC

Related Words

• definition
• explanation
• interpretation
• language
• phrase
• remark
• speech
• statement
• style
• term
• voice
• word