expansion
Pluralexpansions
- 1The act of getting bigger or spreading out over more space.
Like a balloon getting bigger as you blow air into it.
The hot sun caused the expansion of the metal bridge.
The school's expansion means more classrooms for students next year.
UsageSay expansion of a thing, or expansion into a new place.
Similargrowth, increase, enlargement, extension
Oppositecontraction, reduction, shrinkage, decrease
Note
- 2A time when a country's economy grows and people buy and sell more.
Like a garden where more plants grow each year and everything gets bigger.
During the expansion, many people found new jobs.
The expansion ended when factories began closing and spending slowed.
UsageSay an expansion for one time of growth. The opposite is a recession.
Oppositerecession, downturn, slump
Note
- 3Short for expansion pack: a package of extra content for an existing game.
The game's first expansion adds ten new levels and a new map.
She bought the expansion as soon as it came out.
- 4A new part added to a building to make it bigger.
The new science classes meet in the expansion behind the old school.
The library's expansion will have a room just for kids.
Similarannex
Note
- 5Rewriting a mathematical expression as a longer sum with the same value.
Like opening a folded map so you can see every part of it.
Our teacher showed the expansion of 3 × (4 + 5) into 3 × 4 + 3 × 5.
After the expansion, the problem was longer but easier to solve step by step.
Oppositefactorization
Note
Less common meanings
- 6The full words that a short form or set of letters stands for, or writing those words out.
The expansion of 'ASAP' is 'as soon as possible.'
In your essay, give the expansion of each short form the first time.
UsageSay the expansion of a short form, like the expansion of 'ASAP'.
Note
- 7
- 8How much a material grows when it gets hotter, often measured for each degree.
- 9Moving the flat sides of a shape away from its center and filling the gaps with new sides.
- 10The way steam keeps pushing the engine's piston after the supply of fresh steam is shut off.
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Origin
From French expansion, which came from Latin expānsiō. It can be seen as expand plus -sion.
Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- English expansion was borrowed from French expansion. en.wiktionary.org
- French expansion came from Latin expānsiō. en.wiktionary.org
- Expansion can be analysed as expand plus -sion. en.wiktionary.org