expansion

noun

ex·​pan·​sion ik-ˈspan(t)-shən How to pronounce expansion (audio)
1
2
: the act or process of expanding
territorial expansion
economic expansion
expansion of the universe
3
: the quality or state of being expanded
4
: the increase in volume of working fluid (such as steam) in an engine cylinder after cutoff or in an internal combustion engine after explosion
5
a
: an expanded part
b
: something that results from an act of expanding
the book is an expansion of a lecture series
6
: the result of carrying out an indicated mathematical operation : the expression of a function in the form of a series
expansional adjective

Examples of expansion in a Sentence

The league is undergoing expansion. the expansion of a lecture series into a book This book is an expansion of a lecture series.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Disney's capital expenditures totaled $5.4 billion, primarily for theme park expansions and new attractions. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 Over the past five years, California’s economy ranked 13th-best for the expansion of its gross domestic product – the broadest measurement of business output. Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024 The acquisition opens new doors for digital expansion and scientific events, allowing LabX to deepen its connection with the science community and provide readers with even more ways to explore and understand the world of science. Discover Staff, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024 Asked if South Carolina should expand Medicaid, Simmer said the challenges South Carolina and other states confront are worsened by health care provider shortages and structural inequities too large and complicated for Medicaid expansion alone to solve. Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for expansion 

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expansion was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near expansion

Cite this Entry

“Expansion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expansion. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

expansion

noun
ex·​pan·​sion ik-ˈspan-chən How to pronounce expansion (audio)
1
: the act of expanding
2
: the state of being expanded
3
: something expanded or a result of expanding
4
: the result of carrying out indicated mathematical operations
the expansion of (a + b)2 is a2 + 2ab + b2

Medical Definition

expansion

noun
ex·​pan·​sion ik-ˈspan-chən How to pronounce expansion (audio)
1
: the act or process of expanding
2
: the quality or state of being expanded

More from Merriam-Webster on expansion

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