expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

1

: firmament

2

: great extent of something spread out

an expanse of calm ocean

Synonyms

• breadth
• distance
• expansion
• extent
• field
• length
• plain
• reach
• sheet
• spread
• stretch
• waste

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

The roomful of ALOHAs was unlocking the subtle physical details of everyday life, arguably one of the last expanses of unrecorded human activity. —James Somers, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024

And winter is our time to reclaim the desert when the wide-open expanses of southeastern Arizona beckon with impossibly starry skies. —Becky Bartkowski, The Arizona Republic, 25 Nov. 2024

Some call these places home, or live under uncertified expanses of dark sky. —Lane Sainty, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024

Los Angeles fashion, a melting pot of influences from surfers, skaters, Hollywood, and the diverse neighborhoods across the valley expanse, is the perfect backdrop for this vision. —Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

: a wide space, area, or stretch

the vast expanse of the ocean