Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Capable of expanding or tending to expand.
- adjective Broad in size or extent; comprehensive.
- adjective Open and communicative; talkative or effusive.
- adjective Grand in scale.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Capable of causing or effecting expansion: as, the expansive force of heat.
- Capable of being expanded, or of expanding or spreading out in volume or extent; dilatable: as, the expansive quality of air; expansive gases or substances.
- Embracing a large number of objects or particulars; wide-extending; comprehensive: as, expansive benevolence; an expansive outlook.
- Comprehensive in feeling or action; sympathetic; effusive.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Having a capacity or tendency to expand or dilate; diffusive; of much expanse; wide-extending
- adjective causing expansion.
- adjective of much expanse; wide-extending.
- adjective friendly, open, and unrestrained in conversation or discourse; -- of people.
- adjective characterized by exaggerated feelings of euphoria and delusions of grandeur.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Able to be
expanded . - adjective
Comprehensive inscope orextent . - adjective
Talkative andsociable . - adjective mathematics Exhibiting
expansivity .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
- adjective able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion
- adjective friendly and open and willing to talk
- adjective marked by exaggerated feelings of euphoria and delusions of grandeur
Etymologies
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Examples
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The word expansive has appeared in 606 New York Times articles in the past year, including on Nov. 2 in "Citi Field Fits In With History of Ballpark Changes," by Andrew Keh:
NYT > Home Page By THE LEARNING NETWORK 2011
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Learn more about the word "expansive" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary.com dictionary.
NYT > Home Page By THE LEARNING NETWORK 2011
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In Westminster to settle some business before I leave for France, I come across Clegg in expansive mood.
Lord Bonkers' Diary: Nick Clegg on the Lib Dem constitution 2008
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In Westminster to settle some business before I leave for France, I come across Clegg in expansive mood.
Archive 2008-08-01 2008
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Coming up the street on our bicycles, it seemed a grin – expansive and toothy, as if the bearer were just about to break out in maniacal laughter.
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Still, a tent, no matter how expansive, is ultimately an enclosure.
Quote of the Day 2004
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Still, a tent, no matter how expansive, is ultimately an enclosure.
Who are we, anyway? 2004
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Still, a tent, no matter how expansive, is ultimately an enclosure.
Archive 2004-05-01 2004
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Still, a tent, no matter how expansive, is ultimately an enclosure.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T 2004
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Still, a tent, no matter how expansive, is ultimately an enclosure.
Quote of the day 2004
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