expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

1

: firmament

2

: great extent of something spread out

an expanse of calm ocean

Synonyms of expanse

• expansion
• stretch
• length

Examples of expanse in a Sentence

The explorer gazed across the vast Arctic expanse.

the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships

Recent Examples on the Web

This was an era of unprecedented progress for a far wider expanse of people than during the post-WWII era. —Big Think, 14 Apr. 2026

One of the best places to see a wide expanse of great white trillium in Lake County is at Wright Woods near Vernon Hills. —Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026

The area, an expanse of more than a hundred square miles, has been chronically under-resourced. —Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

End your drive with a stay at Chinati Hot Springs, and soak in the steaming springwater beneath rustling cottonwoods and the glittering expanse of Texas stars. —Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin expansum, from Latin, neuter of expansus, past participle of expandere

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for expanse

• advance
• askance
• enhance
• finance
• freelance
• mischance
• perchance
• romance
• chance
• dance
• glance
• hance

Kids Definition

expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

: a wide space, area, or stretch

the vast expanse of the ocean