expression
Pluralexpressions
- 1The act of showing thoughts, ideas, or feelings through words, actions, or art.
Like opening a door so people can see what is inside you.
The festival celebrates free expression through art and music.
Talking honestly with a friend is one form of expression.
UsageOften an expression of a feeling, or freedom of expression.
Similarstatement, articulation, communication
Oppositesuppression, repression
- 2The look on your face that shows what you are feeling.
Like a sign on your face that tells people how you feel inside.
Her expression turned to surprise when she opened the gift.
He kept a calm expression all through the meeting.
UsageOften the expression on someone's face.
Similarlook, face, countenance
Note
- 3
- 4A common saying that people often use in everyday talk.
Like a ready-made phrase you grab instead of building one yourself.
"Hit the road" is a fun expression that means to leave.
She taught us a new expression in our Spanish class.
UsageOften an expression for something, like an expression for heavy rain.
- 5The way a cell uses the instructions in a gene to make something it needs, usually a protein.
Like following a written recipe to bake a real cake from the steps.
Scientists studied how stress changes gene expression in plants.
This drug blocks the expression of a harmful protein.
UsageOften gene expression. You can also say a gene is expressed.
Note
- 6A group of numbers, letters, and signs that shows a math calculation.
To work out the expression, add the numbers in the parentheses first.
The teacher wrote a long expression across the whole board.
UsageYou simplify an expression. You solve an equation, which has an = sign.
Note
- 7A small piece of computer code that gives back a value.
Like a tiny machine in the code that hands you back an answer.
The program failed because the expression returned the wrong number.
My code would not run because I left a bracket out of one expression.
Note
Less common meanings
- 8The feeling someone puts into music they play or sing, or into words they read aloud.
Like reading a story out loud with feeling instead of in a flat voice.
Play the song with more expression, not just the right notes.
Her singing was full of warmth and expression.
UsageUsually play, sing or read with expression.
Note
- 9The act of pressing something hard to squeeze a liquid out.
Like squeezing an orange in your hands to get the juice out.
Lemon oil is made by expression: the peels are pressed until the oil comes out.
Olive oil is made by the expression of ripe olives.
Similarpressing, extraction
Note
- 10A certain version of whisky made and sold by one maker.
Practice
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Origin
It came from Late Latin "expressiō," meaning "a pressing out," through Middle French "expression."
Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Expression came through Middle French expression from Late Latin expressiō, meaning “a pressing out.” en.wiktionary.org