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expansively

B1
adverb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɛkspˈænsɪvli/

US

  • /ɛkspˈænsɪvli/

Description

Imagine a storyteller sharing an incredible tale. They do not just tell you what happened; they describe it expansively, adding lots of detail and making the whole scene feel bigger. To do something expansively means to do it in a broad, open, or wide-ranging way. A host might gesture expansively to welcome guests into their home, spreading their arms as if making room for everyone. Someone might also speak expansively about a trip or a plan, going on at length and covering many parts of it. The word often suggests openness, confidence, or a sense of fullness.

Examples

  1. 1

    Speaking at length

    After a few minutes, he began speaking expansively about his plans for the restaurant.

  2. 2

    Memoir writing

    In her memoir, she writes expansively about growing up in a small fishing town.

  3. 3

    Broad gesture

    The tour guide waved expansively toward the harbor as the boat came in.

  4. 4

    Legal interpretation

    The court declined to read the law expansively.

    • Pattern

      read a law expansively

      interpret it broadly, not narrowly

  5. 5

    Lavish lifestyle

    In his twenties, he lived expansively, with expensive suits and weekends in Paris.

    • Phrase

      live expansively

      spend money freely and on a large scale

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • expansivelyadverb