Origin: Latin suffix -sion
Expansion has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
"The company's recent expansion into three new markets has doubled their annual revenue within a year."
a function expressed as a sum or product of terms
"the expansion of (a+b)^2 is a^2 + 2ab + b^2"
a discussion that provides additional information
"The professor paused to give his expansion on how climate change specifically affects coastal ecosystems before moving on to the next topic."
adding information or detail
"The editor suggested a brief expansion of the introduction to provide more context for the new readers."
An act, process, or instance of expanding.
"The company's rapid expansion into new markets surprised everyone who thought they were staying local."
In plain English: Expansion is when something gets bigger or covers more space.
"The rapid expansion of the city has created new traffic problems."
Usage: Use expansion to describe the general act of growing larger in size, scope, or amount, such as business growth or physical stretching. Avoid confusing it with specific technical terms like "expansion pack" for software or "expansion joint" for construction unless specifically referring to those contexts.
The word entered English from the French expansion, which itself came from the Latin expānsiō. It originally referred to the act of spreading out or opening up before taking on its modern sense of growth or increase in size.