1
: the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand
also
: an English unit of length equal to nine inches (22.9 centimeters)
2
: an extent, stretch, reach, or spread between two limits: such as
a
: a limited space (as of time)
especially
: an individual's lifetime
b
: the spread or extent between abutments or supports (as of a bridge)
also
: a portion thus supported
c
: the maximum distance laterally from tip to tip of an airplane
spanned; spanning
1
a
: to measure by or as if by the hand with fingers and thumb extended
b
: measure
2
a
: to extend across
a career that spanned four decades
b
: to form an arch over
a small bridge spanned the pond
c
: to place or construct a span over
3
: to be capable of expressing any element of under given operations
a set of vectors that spans a vector space
: a pair of animals (such as mules) usually matched in appearance and action and driven together
Synonyms
Examples of span in a Sentence
Verb
His career as a singer spanned three decades.
Their empire once spanned several continents.
Her academic interests span a wide variety of topics.
A bridge spans the river.
Recent Examples on the Web
Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 May 2024
Some took the stand for just a few hours, others spanned days.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The event, showcasing hundreds of artists and patronized by hundreds of thousands of people, spans two main locations: the lush parkland of the Giardini, created by Napoleon, and the cluster of retired shipyards and armories known as the Arsenale.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
The three leads are the anchors in a very convoluted, very sweaty love triangle, which spans decades.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 2 May 2024
The property is situated on a lot spanning 5,400 square feet.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
Spring turkey hunting season in Oklahoma spans from April 16 to May 16.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The first leg of the tour will span across North America, exclusively America and Canada.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2024
Each of these projects is expected to span many months.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
But first, there's the business of clearing the channel of debris from the collapsed span and the other unknowns that will inevitably creep into the project.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 3 May 2024
In the span of three months early last year, three midsize banks with more than $200 billion in assets each all collapsed:Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank (the latter not to be confused with Republic First Bank, which collapsed last week).
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 2 May 2024
The Cascade Range is one of the most accessible spans of active volcanism on Earth.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2024
Only two other teams in the NHL have beaten the same playoff opponent more often over that span.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
And conducting a special election so close to a general election could force the agency to procure a new set of election equipment, given the challenges of decommissioning and turning around voting machines in the span of just a few months.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
In the span of two full regular seasons and 25 playoff games, the two have been on the ice together with the game at five-on-five for just 377 minutes, or the equivalent of just over six full games.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Sunday’s storms brought up to nine inches of rain to some areas in a span of just six to eight hours, washing out roads and causing rivers to rise.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Verb
Hill's acting career spanned over 50 years both onscreen and on-stage.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 5 May 2024
Some took the stand for just a few hours, others spanned days.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The event, showcasing hundreds of artists and patronized by hundreds of thousands of people, spans two main locations: the lush parkland of the Giardini, created by Napoleon, and the cluster of retired shipyards and armories known as the Arsenale.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
The three leads are the anchors in a very convoluted, very sweaty love triangle, which spans decades.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 2 May 2024
The property is situated on a lot spanning 5,400 square feet.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
Spring turkey hunting season in Oklahoma spans from April 16 to May 16.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
The first leg of the tour will span across North America, exclusively America and Canada.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2024
Each of these projects is expected to span many months.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Noun
The disagreement over Connor’s part in the fatal beating stemmed from about a 90-second span in a hallway without video cameras.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
But first, there's the business of clearing the channel of debris from the collapsed span and the other unknowns that will inevitably creep into the project.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 3 May 2024
In the span of three months early last year, three midsize banks with more than $200 billion in assets each all collapsed:Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank (the latter not to be confused with Republic First Bank, which collapsed last week).
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 2 May 2024
The Cascade Range is one of the most accessible spans of active volcanism on Earth.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2024
Only two other teams in the NHL have beaten the same playoff opponent more often over that span.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
And conducting a special election so close to a general election could force the agency to procure a new set of election equipment, given the challenges of decommissioning and turning around voting machines in the span of just a few months.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
In the span of two full regular seasons and 25 playoff games, the two have been on the ice together with the game at five-on-five for just 377 minutes, or the equivalent of just over six full games.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Sunday’s storms brought up to nine inches of rain to some areas in a span of just six to eight hours, washing out roads and causing rivers to rise.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 6 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'span.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near span
Cite this Entry
“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/span. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
span
1 of 3 noun1
: the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand
also
: an English unit of length equal to 9 inches (about 22.9 centimeters)
2
a
: a limited portion of time
span of life
b
: the spread (as of an arch) from one support to another
c
: the portion supported to form a span
span
2 of 3 verb
spanned; spanning
1
a
: to measure by or as if by the hand with fingers and thumb extended
2
a
: to reach or extend across
a bridge spans the river
a career that spans four decades
b
: to place or construct a span over
span
3 of 3 noun
: a pair of animals (as mules) driven together
Etymology
Noun
Old English spann "distance measured by the outstretched hand"
Noun
from Dutch span "a pair of animals driven together," derived from earlier spannen "to hitch up"
Medical Definition
span
noun1
: an extent of distance or of time
especially
: life span
2
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