adjective Uncommon

expansive

ihk-SPAN-sihv

Expansive (adjective) means covering a large area or wide range; extensive. Example: “The estate has expansive gardens that stretch for miles.”

adjective

Covering a large area or wide range; extensive.

"The estate has expansive gardens that stretch for miles."

Open, talkative, and generous in manner, especially when in a good mood.

"After a good meal, he became expansive and told stories for hours."

How to Use Expansive

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither physically wide-ranging, or (about a person) unusually open and chatty.

Common pairings

expansive views expansive mood an expansive gesture

Word Forms

more expansive comparative, most expansive superlative

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The estate has _____ gardens that stretch for miles.

Etymology

From Latin expans-, the past-participle stem of expandere ("to spread out"), plus the "-ive" ending.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for expansive

five give dive live olive drive alive strive derive active arrive native

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “expansive” mean?

The word “expansive” means covering a large area or wide range; extensive. In plain terms, either physically wide-ranging, or (about a person) unusually open and chatty.

How do you pronounce “expansive”?

“Expansive” is pronounced ihk-SPAN-sihv (/ɪkˈspænsɪv/ in IPA).

How do you use “expansive” in a sentence?

Here is “expansive” used in a sentence: “The estate has expansive gardens that stretch for miles.”

What part of speech is “expansive”?

“Expansive” is an adjective.

Where does the word “expansive” come from?

The word “expansive” comes from Latin. From Latin expans-, the past-participle stem of expandere ("to spread out"), plus the "-ive" ending.

Is “expansive” a common word?

“Expansive” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “expansive” have?

“Expansive” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: covering a large area or wide range; extensive.