expansion

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Economics

n. when a company or an economy grows and becomes more successful.

n. a period of economic growth or the process of a business increasing its market presence and operations.

“The company is planning an expansion into the European market next year.”

“Economists predicted a period of sustained expansion following the implementation of the new trade agreement and the reduction of interest rates.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. the increase in the volume of a substance, often caused by heat.

n. the increase in volume of a substance, typically resulting from a change in temperature or pressure.

“The expansion of the metal in the heat caused the door to get stuck.”

“Engineers must account for the thermal expansion of steel beams when designing bridges to prevent structural failure during extreme summer temperatures.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. a new part added to something, like a game or a book, to make it longer or more complete.

n. the addition of further detail to a narrative or the release of supplementary content for an existing software product or game.

“I bought the new expansion for my favourite board game yesterday.”

“The studio released a digital expansion that introduced three new playable regions and a revamped combat system to the original title.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic

n. the full version of a word that has been shortened.

n. the full, unabbreviated form of a word or phrase represented by an acronym or initialism.

“The expansion of 'NASA' is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”

“The author provided the full expansion of every technical acronym in the appendix to ensure the text remained accessible to non-specialist readers.”