What does "expansion" mean?
An act, process, or instance of expanding.
Expansion
/ɪkˈspænʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act, process, or instance of expanding.
- Grammar: expansion is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: enlargement, abundance increase, access, accession.
- Useful contrasts: drastic dilutions, dwindling resources, economic contraction.
- Usage evidence: Shareholders were concerned about the company's swift expansion overseas.
How to use "expansion"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "expansion" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "expansion" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "expansion" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "expansion" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "expansion" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "enlargement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "expansion", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act, process, or instance of expanding. countable, uncountable
"The expansion of metals and plastics in response to heat is well understood."
- 2 the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope wordnet
- 3 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; The fractional change in unit length per unit length per unit temperature change. countable, uncountable
"Look up the expansion of 1018 steel at stick welding temps and figure out how far this thing's gonna bend once we weld it up."
- 4 adding information or detail wordnet
- 5 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; A new addition. countable, uncountable
"My new office is in the expansion behind the main building."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a discussion that provides additional information wordnet
- 7 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; A product to be used with a previous product. countable, uncountable
"This expansion requires the original game board."
- 8 a function expressed as a sum or product of terms wordnet
- 9 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; That which is expanded; expanse; extended surface. countable, uncountable
"Mother of mighty Rome's imperial line, / Delight of man, and of the powers divine, / Venus, all-bounteous queen! whose genial power / Diffuses beauty in unbounded store / Through seas, and fertile plains, and all that lies / Beneath the starred expansion of the skies."
- 10 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; The operation of steam in a cylinder after its communication with the boiler has been cut off, by which it continues to exert pressure upon the moving piston. countable, uncountable
- 11 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; The replacement of a short name (e.g., acronym, initialism, alphanumeric symbol, abbreviation) with the longer name that is synonymous with it, as when spelling out acronyms to ensure clarity for a general audience. countable, uncountable
"Expansion of acronyms is often helpful for nonexpert readers (anacronyms excluded)."
- 12 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; The replacement of a short name (e.g., acronym, initialism, alphanumeric symbol, abbreviation) with the longer name that is synonymous with it, as when spelling out acronyms to ensure clarity for a general audience.; The string of text thus substituted. countable, uncountable
"The acronym "FNDs" can mean either "functional neurologic disorders" or "focal neurologic deficits", so you'd better use the expansion instead of the acronym, for clarity in this context; readers of this paragraph may not have read, or remember, which definition you used 40 pages earlier."
- 13 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; Ellipsis of expansion pack. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 14 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; An increase in the market value of an economy over time. countable, uncountable
"Secondly, the cyclical expansion now taking shape in the United States is starting from a relatively high level; it has much less headroom than earlier expansions that began from a deeply deflated recession base."
- 15 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; Stretching of geometric objects with flat sides. countable, uncountable
- 16 An act, process, or instance of expanding.; The rewriting of an expression as a longer but equivalent sum of terms. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
drastic dilutionsdwindling resourceseconomic contractioneconomic stasis period
Example
"Shareholders were concerned about the company's swift expansion overseas."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "expansion"?
Common synonyms include: enlargement, abundance increase, access, accession, accomplishment, accretion.
How do you use "expansion" in a sentence?
Shareholders were concerned about the company's swift expansion overseas.
How do you pronounce "expansion"?
Pronounced /ɪkˈspænʃən/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French expansion, from Latin expānsiō. By surface analysis, expand + -sion.