expand

English

Etymology

Recorded in Middle English since 1422 (as expanden, expaunden), from Anglo-Norman espaundre, from Latin expandere present active infinitive of expandō (“to spread out”), itself from ex- (“out, outwards”) + pandō (“to spread”). Doublet of spawn.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ænd
• IPA^(key): /ɪkˈspænd/, /ɛkˈspænd/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Verb

expand (third-person singular simple present expands, present participle expanding, simple past and past participle expanded)

1. (transitive) To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open.

   You can expand this compact umbrella to cover a large table.

2. (transitive) To increase the extent, number, volume or scope of (something).

   A flower expands its leaves.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Then with expanded wings he steers his flight.

   • 1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Scottish Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 594:

     This has evidently been encouraging, for the current winter timetable - not even with the benefit of summer holiday traffic - shows that the two trains each way have been expanded to four.

3. (transitive) To express (something) at length and/or in detail.
4. (transitive, algebra) To rewrite (an expression) as a longer, yet equivalent sum of terms.

   Use the binomial theorem to expand ${(x+1)}^{4}$.

5. (intransitive, algebra, of an expression) To become, by rewriting, a longer, yet equivalent sum of terms.

   The expression ${(x+1)}^{4}$ expands to $x^{4}+4x^{3}+6x^{2}+4x+1$.

6. (transitive, arithmetic) To multiply both the numerator and the denominator of a fraction by the same (non-zero) number (which yields a fraction of equal value).

   Expanding $4/7$ by $3$ gives $12/21$.

7. (intransitive) To change or grow from smaller to larger in form, number, or size.

   Many materials expand when heated.

   This compact umbrella expands to cover a large table.

8. (intransitive) To increase in extent, number, volume or scope.
9. (intransitive) To speak or write at length or in detail.

   He expanded on his plans for the business.

   • 1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:

     There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […] ”

10. (intransitive) To feel generous or optimistic.
11. (transitive, computing) In a hierarchical list (such as a directory tree or table of contents), to show the subentries of (an entry).

    Antonym: collapse

Conjugation

Conjugation of expand

infinitive	(to) expand
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	expand	expanded
2nd-person singular	expand, expandest†	expanded, expandedst†
3rd-person singular	expands, expandeth†	expanded
plural	expand
subjunctive	expand	expanded
imperative	expand	—
participles	expanding	expanded

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms

• (to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one): open out, spread, spread out, unfold
• (to increase the extent, number, volume or scope of): enlarge
• (to express at length or in detail): elaborate (on), expand on

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one”): contract
• (antonym(s) of “to increase the extent, number, volume or scope of”): contract, limit
• (to express at length or in detail): limit
• (antonym(s) of “algebra: to rewrite as an equivalent sum of terms”): factor

Derived terms

• expandable
• expander
• expand one's wings

 

Related terms

• expanse
• expansible
• expansile
• expansion
• expansionism
• expansive

 

Translations

(transitive) to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one

• Bulgarian: разширявам се (razširjavam se)
• Dutch: vergroten (nl), uitbreiden (nl), openzetten (nl), opentrekken (nl)
• Esperanto: pligrandiĝi
• Finnish: laajentaa (fi), (to spread) levittää (fi)
• French: agrandir (fr)
• German: expandieren (de), vergrößern (de)
• Greek: επεκτείνω (el) (epekteíno)
• Hebrew: הרחיב (hirkhív), מתח (he) (matákh), הגדיל (higdíl)
• Hungarian: bővít (hu), kibővít (hu), szélesít (hu), kiszélesít (hu), kiterjeszt (hu), tágít (hu), kitágít (hu), növel (hu), megnövel (hu)
• Ingrian: avaroittaa
• Italian: estendere (it), espandere (it)
• Japanese: 広げる (ja) (hirogeru), 拡大する (ja) (kakudai suru)
• Korean: 펴다 (ko) (pyeoda), 피다 (ko) (pida)
• Latin: expandō
• Malayalam: വികസിപ്പിക്കുക (vikasippikkuka)
• Maori: tīwhaki, tīwhera, whakamakoha, whakaroha
• Norwegian: utvide, ekspandere
• Romanian: mări (ro), expanda, crește (ro)
• Russian: растя́гивать (ru) impf (rastjágivatʹ), расширя́ть (ru) impf (rasširjátʹ)
• Spanish: ampliar (es)
• Swedish: utbreda (sv), utveckla (sv), öppna (sv)
• Tagalog: palakihin
• Thai: ขยาย (th) (kàyǎai)
• Ukrainian: розтяга́ти (roztjaháty), розши́рювати (rozšýrjuvaty), збі́льшувати (zbílʹšuvaty)
• Yiddish: אויסברייטערן (oysbreytern)

(transitive) to increase the extent, number, volume or scope of

• Arabic: وَسَّعَ (wassaʕa)
• Bulgarian: разширявам (bg) (razširjavam)
• Danish: ekspandere (da)
• Dutch: uitbreiden (nl), vergroten (nl), vermeerderen (nl)
• German: vergrößern (de)
• Hebrew: הרחיב (hirkhív)
• Hungarian: kibont (hu), kiterít (hu), széttár (hu)
• Italian: espandere (it)
• Japanese: 広げる (ja) (hirogeru), 拡大する (ja) (kakudai suru)
• Korean: 펴다 (ko) (pyeoda), 피다 (ko) (pida)
• Lü: ᦶᦖᧈᦦᦱᧂᧉ (ṁae¹k̇waang²)
• Malayalam: വികസിപ്പിക്കുക (vikasippikkuka)
• Maori: whakaroha (refers to extent)
• Norwegian: utvide, ekspandere
• Romanian: mări (ro)
• Russian: увели́чивать (ru) impf (uvelíčivatʹ)
• Swedish: expandera (sv), vidga (sv), utvidga (sv)
• Tagalog: palakihin
• Ukrainian: збі́льшувати (zbílʹšuvaty)
• Yiddish: אויסברייטערן (oysbreytern)

(transitive) to express at length or in detail

• Arabic: فَصَّلَ (ar) (faṣṣala)
• Bulgarian: излагам подробно (izlagam podrobno)
• Dutch: elaboreren, uitwerken (nl)
• Hebrew: פירט (he) (perét)
• Hungarian: kifejt (hu), bővebben elmond
• Italian: dettagliare (it), dilungare (it)
• Japanese: 広げる (ja) (hirogeru), 拡大する (ja) (kakudai suru), 展開する (ja) (tenkai suru), 敷衍する (ja) (fuen suru)
• Korean: 펴다 (ko) (pyeoda)
• Norwegian: utdype, greie ut (om)
• Russian: излага́ть де́ло в подро́бностях impf (izlagátʹ délo v podróbnostjax), раскрыва́ть суть де́ла impf (raskryvátʹ sutʹ déla)
• Spanish: expandir (es), profundizar (es), explayar (es)
• Swedish: utveckla (sv)
• Tagalog: palawakin

(transitive, algebra) to rewrite as an equivalent sum of terms

• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} развивам (bg) (razvivam)
• Dutch: ontwikkelen (nl)
• Finnish: kertoa auki
• French: développer (fr)
• Hebrew: פיתח (pitéakh)
• Hungarian: kibont (hu), kiír (hu), kifejt (hu)
• Italian: sviluppare (it)
• Maori: ^{(please verify)} whakawhānui
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} faktorisere (no)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} factoriza (ro)
• Russian: ^{(please verify)} раскрыва́ть ско́бки impf (raskryvátʹ skóbki)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} faktorisera (sv)
• Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} розкрива́ти дужки́ (rozkryváty dužký)
• Vietnamese: khai triển (vi)

(intransitive, algebra) to become an equivalent sum of terms

• Italian: sviluppare (it)

(transitive, arithmetic) to multiply the numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same number

• Finnish: laventaa (fi)
• Hungarian: bővít (hu)
• Italian: moltiplicare (it)

(intransitive) to change from a smaller form/size to a larger one

• Bulgarian: увеличавам се (uveličavam se)
• Dutch: uitdijen (nl), uitzetten (nl), uitplooien
• Esperanto: pligrandiĝi
• Finnish: laajentua (fi), laajeta (fi)
• Hungarian: kitágul (hu), tágul (hu), szétterül (hu)
• Italian: estendersi (it), espandersi (it)
• Korean: 펴이다 (pyeoida), 피다 (ko) (pida)
• Latin: expando
• Malayalam: വികസിക്കുക (ml) (vikasikkuka)
• Maori: tautorotoro, whakaroha
• Norwegian: vokse (no), bli større
• Ottoman Turkish: ایریلشمك (irileşmek), بالابانلانمق (balabanlanmak)
• Romanian: crește (ro)
• Russian: растя́гиваться (ru) impf (rastjágivatʹsja), расширя́ться (ru) impf (rasširjátʹsja)
• Swedish: utbreda sig (sv), utbredas (sv), utveckla sig (sv), utvecklas (sv), växa (sv), öppna sig (sv), öppnas (sv)
• Tagalog: lumaki
• Ukrainian: розтяга́тися (roztjahátysja), розши́рюватися (rozšýrjuvatysja), збі́льшуватися (zbílʹšuvatysja)
• Yiddish: אויסברייטערן זיך (oysbreytern zikh)

(intransitive) to increase in extent, number, volume or scope

• Arabic: تَوَسَّعَ (tawassaʕa)
• Dutch: uitdijen (nl), zich uitbreiden, toenemen (nl)
• Finnish: laajentaa (fi)
• Hungarian: bővül (hu), kibővül (hu), tágul (hu), kitágul (hu), szélesedik (hu), kiszélesedik (hu), kiterjed (hu), dagad (hu), nagyobbodik (hu), megnagyobbodik (hu), terjeszkedik (hu), kinyílik (hu), széttárul (hu), kibomlik (hu), felduzzad (hu)
• Italian: espandersi (it)
• Korean: 펴이다 (pyeoida), 피다 (ko) (pida)
• Malayalam: വികസിക്കുക (ml) (vikasikkuka)
• Norwegian: vokse (no), ekspandere
• Ottoman Turkish: ایریلشمك (irileşmek), بالابانلانمق (balabanlanmak) (in size); آرتمق (artmak) (in amount or number)
• Russian: увели́чиваться (ru) impf (uvelíčivatʹsja)
• Swedish: expanderas (sv), vidgas (sv), utvidgas (sv)
• Tagalog: lumaki
• Ukrainian: збі́льшуватися (zbílʹšuvatysja)
• Yiddish: אויסברייטערן זיך (oysbreytern zikh)

(intransitive) to speak or write at length or in detail

• Dutch: (over) uitweiden (nl)
• Finnish: tarkentaa (fi), täsmentää (fi)
• French: élaborer (fr)
• Hungarian: beszédesebbé válik, megnyílik (hu)
• Italian: dilungarsi (it)
• Norwegian: utdype
• Swedish: utveckla sig (sv)
• Tagalog: lumawak
• Ukrainian: розповіда́ти в дета́лях (rozpovidáty v detáljax)

(intransitive) to feel generous or optimistic

• Hungarian: felenged (hu), felderül (hu)
• Russian: раскрыва́ться (ru) impf (raskryvátʹsja), де́латься открове́ннее impf (délatʹsja otkrovénneje), станови́ться общи́тельнее impf (stanovítʹsja obščítelʹneje)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} élaborer (fr), (s')éteindre