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
5
: characterized by richness, abundance, or magnificence
expansive living
expansive taste
expansively
adverb
expansiveness
noun
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
Guests crunch through colorful seasonal salads, sip from an expansive wine list and dig into chef Alan Sternberg's inventive pasta dishes at snugly cloistered tables in wood and brick alcoves lined with paintings, books and even a handful of typewriters.
—
Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
At massive audiovisual conferences like ISE 2026, extreme projection is everywhere, from the large venues and expansive screens to immersive installations and rental setups built around impressive brightness.
—New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2026
Congress has proposed and authorized expansive construction projects, such as the REACH expansion adjacent to the Kennedy Center, designed for artist collaboration, to smaller standard year-to-year maintenance costs.
—Nathan Lee, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
As the first Games anchored by two primary host cities, Milano-Cortina is also among the most geographically expansive Games in history.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expansive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
At massive audiovisual conferences like ISE 2026, extreme projection is everywhere, from the large venues and expansive screens to immersive installations and rental setups built around impressive brightness.
—New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2026
Congress has proposed and authorized expansive construction projects, such as the REACH expansion adjacent to the Kennedy Center, designed for artist collaboration, to smaller standard year-to-year maintenance costs.
—Nathan Lee, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
As the first Games anchored by two primary host cities, Milano-Cortina is also among the most geographically expansive Games in history.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expansive
Cite this Entry
“Expansive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expansive. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
