expansive

adjective

ex·​pan·​sive ik-ˈspan(t)-siv 

1

: having a capacity or a tendency to expand

2

: causing or tending to cause expansion

3

a

: characterized by high spirits, generosity, or readiness to talk : open

They grew expansive after dinner.

b

: marked by or indicative of exaggerated euphoria and delusions of self-importance

an expansive patient

4

: marked by expansion

especially : having a great expanse or extent : sizable, extensive

an expansive interpretation of the law

5

: characterized by richness, abundance, or magnificence

expansive living

expansive taste

expansively adverb

expansiveness noun

Synonyms of expansive

• extensive
• broad
• wide
• sweeping
• deep

Examples of expansive in a Sentence

He was unusually expansive at the press conference.

She was in an expansive mood.

The law was expansive in its scope.

a more expansive treatment of the topic

the hotel's expansive dining room

The house has expansive views of the valley.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some 600 of them will be sourced from the designer’s personal archive, charting his expansive career spanning the past three decades. —Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026

The primary suite, meanwhile, is an expansive oasis with large windows that overlook the land. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Feb. 2026

Thanks to expansive staff and the use of AI, sportsbooks can post staggering numbers of props with incredible speed, meaning even ideas that crop up late can still make it onto the slate, which wasn’t the case in the decades Avello managed Las Vegas sportsbooks before joining DraftKings. —J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Netflix India has unveiled an expansive 2026 programming slate headlined by Sunny Deol, Madhuri Dixit and Saif Ali Khan as the streamer marks its 10th anniversary in the territory. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

expansive

adjective

ex·​pan·​sive ik-ˈspan(t)-siv 

1

: having a capacity or a tendency to expand

gases are expansive

2

: causing or tending to cause expansion

an expansive force

3

: being in a good or talkative mood

4

: having considerable extent : broad

expansively adverb

expansiveness noun

Medical Definition

expansive

adjective

ex·​pan·​sive ik-ˈspan(t)-siv 

: marked by or indicative of exaggerated euphoria and delusions of self-importance

a patient with expansive trends

expansiveness

-nəs 

noun