Origin: Latin suffix -sion
Expression has 10 different meanings across 1 category:
the feelings expressed on a person's face
"a sad expression"
"a look of triumph"
"an angry face"
expression without words
"tears are an expression of grief"
"the pulse is a reflection of the heart's condition"
the communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions
"expressions of good will"
"he helped me find verbal expression for my ideas"
"the idea was immediate but the verbalism took hours"
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
"pardon the expression"
the style of expressing yourself
"he suggested a better formulation"
"his manner of expression showed how much he cared"
a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
"The professor wrote down an algebraic expression on the board to show how the variables interacted in the equation."
(genetics) the process of expressing a gene
"The scientist explained that the mutation blocked the expression of the gene responsible for producing insulin."
a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit
"I concluded from his awkward constructions that he was a foreigner"
the act of forcing something out by squeezing or pressing
"the expression of milk from her breast"
The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.
"After hours of silence in the meeting, she broke her expression by finally admitting that she was overwhelmed."
In plain English: An expression is a way of showing your feelings or thoughts through your face, words, or actions.
"She made a funny face to show her amusement."
Usage: Use "expression" to describe the act of conveying thoughts, feelings, or ideas through words, art, or gestures. It refers specifically to the output or performance of communication rather than the internal process of thinking.
The word entered English from Middle French and originally referred to the act of pressing something out. Over time, this physical sense shifted to describe conveying thoughts or feelings through speech or writing.