expanse

C2+ Topic:Places & Geography

US /ɪkˈspæns/ UK /ɪkˈspæns/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like expense /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Meanings

1

noun
a wide, open, continuous area of something

An endless expanse of dunes stretched to the horizon.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a wide, open, continuous... stretch sweep extent area breadth tract spread

Word family

Related forms expand expansion expansive

Etymology

From Latin expansum ('a spreading out'), neuter past participle of expandere ('to spread out'), from ex- ('out') + pandere ('to spread, stretch').

expandere Latin pandere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Places & Geography

External links

# expanse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪkˈspæns/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪkˈspæns/

## Meanings
1. a wide, open, continuous area of something

## Examples
- An endless expanse of dunes stretched to the horizon.

## Synonyms
- stretch
- sweep
- extent
- area
- breadth
- tract
- spread

## Related Forms
- expand
- expansion
- expansive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: expandere
- Root: pandere

## Etymology
From Latin expansum ('a spreading out'), neuter past participle of expandere ('to spread out'), from ex- ('out') + pandere ('to spread, stretch').

## AI Etymology
Expanse is from Latin expansum ('a spreading out'), neuter past participle of expandere ('to spread out'), from ex- ('out') + pandere ('to spread, stretch'). Important recorded forms include expandere (Latin) and pandere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers a wide, open, continuous area of something. The wider family includes related words such as expand, expansion, and expansive.

## Topics
- Places & Geography

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