space

American  

[speys] / speɪs /

noun

• spaces
  plural

1. the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur.

2. the portion or extent of this in a given instance; extent or room in three dimensions.

   the space occupied by a body.

3. extent or area in two dimensions; a particular extent of surface.

   to fill out blank spaces in a document.

4. Fine Arts.

   1. the designed and structured surface of a picture.

      In Mondrian's later work he organized space in highly complex rhythms.

   2. the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.

5. outer space.

6. deep space.

7. a seat, berth, or room on a train, airplane, etc.

8. a place available for a particular purpose.

   a parking space.

9. linear distance; a particular distance.

   trees separated by equal spaces.

10. Mathematics. a system of objects with relations between the objects defined.

11. extent, or a particular extent, of time.

    a space of two hours.

12. an interval of time; a while.

    After a space he continued his story.

13. an area or interval allowed for or taken by advertising, as in a periodical, on the radio, etc.

14. Music. the interval between two adjacent lines of the staff.

15. an interval or blank area in text.

    a space between the letters.

16. Printing. one of the blank pieces of metal, less than type-high, used to separate words, sentences, etc.

17. Telegraphy. an interval during the transmitting of a message when the key is not in contact.

18. radio or television broadcast time allowed or available for a program, advertisement, etc.

19. freedom or opportunity to express oneself, resolve a personal difficulty, be alone, etc.; allowance, understanding, or noninterference.

    Right now, you can help by giving me some space.

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verb (used with object)

• spaces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spaced,
  past participle,  past
• spacing
  present participle

1. to fix the space or spaces of; divide into spaces.

2. to set some distance apart.

3. Printing, Writing.

   1. to separate (words, letters, or lines) by spaces.

   2. to extend by inserting more space or spaces (usually followed byout ).

verb (used with or without object)

• spaces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spaced,
  past participle,  past
• spacing
  present participle

1. Informal. to forget: I spaced on your present, I’m so sorry.

   I had an appointment but I totally spaced.

   I spaced on your present, I’m so sorry.

   I spaced the deadline and now my homework's late.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with outer space or deep space.

   a space mission.

2. designed for or suitable to use in the exploration of outer space or deep space: specially packaged space food for astronauts.

   space tools;

   specially packaged space food for astronauts.

verb phrase

1. space out to become dazed or inattentive.

   Sorry, I spaced out and didn't catch that.

space British  

/ speɪs /

noun

1. the unlimited three-dimensional expanse in which all material objects are located

2. an interval of distance or time between two points, objects, or events

3. a blank portion or area

4. 1. unoccupied area or room

      there is no space for a table

   2. ( in combination )

      space-saving

5. freedom to do what a person wishes to for his or her own personal development

6. 1. the region beyond the earth's atmosphere containing the other planets of the solar system, stars, galaxies, etc; universe

   2. ( as modifier )

      a space probe

      space navigation

7. 1. the region beyond the earth's atmosphere occurring between the celestial bodies of the universe. The density is normally negligible although cosmic rays, meteorites, gas clouds, etc, can occur. It can be divided into cislunar space (between the earth and moon), interplanetary space , interstellar space , and intergalactic space

   2. ( as modifier )

      a space station

      a space simulator

8. a seat or place, as on a train, aircraft, etc

9. printing

   1. a piece of metal, less than type-high, used to separate letters or words in hot-metal printing

   2. any of the gaps used to separate letters, words, or lines in photocomposition, desktop publishing, etc

10. music any of the gaps between the lines that make up the staff

11. maths a collection of unspecified points having properties that obey a specified set of axioms

    Euclidean space

12. Also called: spacing.  telegraphy the period of time that separates complete letters, digits, and other characters in Morse code

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verb

1. to place or arrange at intervals or with spaces between

2. to divide into or by spaces

   to space one's time evenly

3. printing to separate (letters, words, or lines) by the insertion of spaces

space Scientific  

/ spās /

1. The region of the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere.

2. ◆ The part of this region within the solar system is known as interplanetary space.

3. ◆ The part of this region beyond the solar system but within the Milky Way or within another galaxy is known as interstellar space.

4. ◆ The part of this region between the Milky Way and other galaxies is known as intergalactic space.

5. The familiar three-dimensional region or field of everyday experience.

6. Mathematics A mathematical object, typically a set of sets, that is usually structured to define a range across which variables or other objects (such as a coordinate system) can be defined.

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space Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing space

• breathing space
• take up space

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• spacer
  noun
• misspace
  verb (used with object)
• respace
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• spaces
  plural

Participles

• spacing
  present
• spaced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• space
  simple
• spaces
  simple
• have spaced
  perfect
• has spaced
  perfect
• am spacing
  progressive
• are spacing
  progressive
• is spacing
  progressive
• have been spacing
  perfect progressive
• has been spacing
  perfect progressive

Past

• spaced
  simple
• had spaced
  perfect
• was spacing
  progressive
• were spacing
  progressive
• had been spacing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will space
  simple
• will have spaced
  perfect
• will be spacing
  progressive
• will have been spacing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of space

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French espace, from Latin spatium

Explanation

Before hiring a moving company to bring a grand piano into your studio apartment, you should measure how much space you actually have available. Space, along with time, is one of the basic concepts of reality, but there are plenty of non-philosophical ways to use it. Don't let your dog sleep in the bed — she'll take up too much space. There's a space between each of these words. If you're into rockets, you probably want to travel in space, beyond the earth's atmosphere. A space in your day is free time. (Weird, right?) The root word spatium means "area covered" in Latin.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

space spaces spaced spacing

Gaggles of British tourists with fur coats and spray tans jostled for seating, clutching their outerwear to their chests for space as they scouted for a table to open up.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

“There is a time for us to lift up younger people and create space for them to lead,” Irving said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

The internet was rife with what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third places,” a space separate from home and work that encouraged social interaction and bred cohesion in communities.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Once a droplet leaves, another can form in the newly exposed space.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Abruptly the ground leveled out, and he felt space opening up around him.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

We’ve seen it happen to our physical third spaces for decades.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

South Bay’s maritime city where creativity and community seem to emerge in the most unexpected spaces.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Ample windows and three distinct outdoor spaces connect the dwelling to the world around it—including views of the Silver Lake Reservoir and San Gabriel mountains—while its tucked-away location in the hills creates space for solitude.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

More than 83,000 spaces are occupied by male inmates, despite the government introducing a presumption against jailing anyone for under one year to free up more space.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Kyle noticed several TV news satellite trucks taking up the parking spaces along the curb.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, making sure they are evenly spaced.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

But research shows that many people follow their intuition and treat the numbers as evenly spaced, placing a billion roughly halfway between a million and trillion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Houses are well spaced with large lawns and gardens.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

In truth, the Hollywood stars elevated to the governorship, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been the exception — spaced nearly four decades apart — and far from the norm.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026

Fifteen miles from shore in Rhode Island, Giovanni da Verrazzano found trees so widely spaced that the forest “could be penetrated even by a large army.”

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Deschamps identified that the spacing of France's defensive set-up was off and that offensively the players were in zones that didn't best suit many of them.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Coach Mike Brown’s “five-out” approach ensures every player is a 3-point threat, creating wide spacing to stretch defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

The researchers used computer simulations to optimize important structural features, including gap dimensions and the spacing between repeating units.

From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026

Slowly but surely, he broke down picking the hook, separating verses using slick spacing, and adding layers of intricately placed sounds.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

I felt even more humiliated since Angela had alluded to my spacing out—my seizures—in front of Nicole Castro.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Related Words

• area
• arena
• capacity
• distance
• field
• location
• slot
• spot
• territory
• zone