space
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.the huge area outside the Earth's atmosphere where the stars and planets are.
n.the near-vacuum physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
Simple“The astronauts spent six months living on a station in space.”
In context“Advancements in propulsion technology have renewed international interest in deep space exploration and the potential for lunar colonies.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
n.an empty area that is available to be used.
n.a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied.
Simple“We need to move the sofa to make more space for the Christmas tree.”
In context“The architect designed the atrium to maximise natural light and create a sense of open space within the urban office complex.”
PitfallThere is not many space in the car. There is not much space in the car.When 'space' means 'room' or 'area', it is usually uncountable and takes 'much' instead of 'many'.
- 03 A2 Elementary
n.a small empty area between two things or two people.
n.a specific blank area or gap between two objects, points, or characters in text.
Simple“Make sure you leave a space between each word when you write.”
In context“The parking attendant gestured toward a narrow space between two delivery vans, challenging the driver's precision.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the freedom to be alone or to think without other people bothering you.
n.the opportunity or freedom to exist, think, and act as one wishes without interference.
Simple“I love my family, but sometimes I just need some space to myself.”
In context“After the intense collaboration of the project, she requested a week of remote work to give herself the mental space to recover.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
- 06 B1 Intermediate
v.to put things at regular distances from each other.
v.to position objects or intervals at specific distances from one another.
Simple“You should space the plants about thirty centimetres apart.”
In context“The instructor asked the students to space themselves out across the hall to ensure everyone had room to move freely.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'out'.
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop paying attention because you are thinking about something else.
v.to become inattentive or distracted from one's immediate surroundings.
Simple“I'm sorry, I spaced out for a second—what did you say?”
In context“He tended to space out during long afternoon lectures, his mind wandering to his weekend plans instead of the complex equations on the board.”
UsageAlmost always used as the phrasal verb 'space out'.
Usage space with over subscribers · space of time · space station
From Middle English space, from Anglo-Norman space, variant of espace, espas, et al.; and spaze, variant of espace, from Latin spatium, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂- (“to stretch, to pull”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.