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expression

n.
US //ɪksˈpɹɛʃən// UK //ɛkspɹˈɛʃən// ex·pres·sion
  1. 1 showing feelings (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of showing your thoughts or feelings through words, art, or music.

    the action of manifesting thoughts, ideas, or emotions through a medium such as language or art.

    Example

    The protest was a powerful expression of the people's anger.

    Example

    The artist viewed her latest sculpture as the ultimate expression of her frustration with modern urban isolation.
  2. 2 facial look (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the look on your face that shows what you are thinking or feeling.

    a facial appearance that conveys a specific emotion or state of mind.

    Example

    He had a confused expression on his face when I told him the news.

    Example

    She maintained a neutral expression throughout the cross-examination, refusing to let the jury see her growing anxiety.
Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 a phrase (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a word or group of words with a particular meaning.

    a particular word, phrase, or form of words, often idiomatic or colloquial.

    Example

    Break a leg is a common expression used to wish someone good luck.

    Example

    The professor explained that the expression was a regionalism rarely heard outside of the rural southwest.
  2. 4 mathematics (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Math

    a group of numbers and symbols that show a value.

    a finite combination of symbols that is well-formed according to rules that depend on the context.

    Example

    The teacher asked us to simplify the algebraic expression in the brackets.

    Example

    The software struggled to parse the complex mathematical expression due to a missing closing parenthesis in the third line of code.
  3. 5 computing (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a piece of code that gives a specific result or value.

    a syntactic unit in a programming language that can be evaluated to determine its value.

    Example

    This regular expression helps the computer find email addresses in a long text.

    Example

    The compiler evaluates the boolean expression before deciding which branch of the conditional logic to execute.

  4. 6 biology (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the way a gene starts working to produce a physical effect.

    the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product.

    Example

    Scientists are studying the gene expression that causes certain flowers to change colour.

    Example

    Abnormal gene expression in the early stages of development can lead to significant structural defects in the organism.

  5. 7 musical feeling (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Music

    the way a musician plays to show emotion and style.

    the quality of playing or singing with sensitive and appropriate emotion.

    Example

    She played the piano piece with great expression and moved the audience to tears.

    Example

    The conductor urged the violinists to play with more expression during the melancholic second movement.
Origin

Borrowed from Middle French expression, from Late Latin expressiō, expressiōnem (“a pressing out”). Morphologically express + -ion.

Word family

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