expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s How to pronounce expanse (audio)
1
2
: great extent of something spread out
an expanse of calm ocean

Examples of expanse in a Sentence

The explorer gazed across the vast Arctic expanse. the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Old-timers have stopped over the last two days to sit and lay in the wispy tall grass, in the expanse of its shadow. Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 June 2025 Who can gaze into that great expanse and not contemplate such things as infinity or Earth’s relevance to the cosmos? Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025 Off Highway 101 at Telephone Road in Ventura, roll past shopping and business centers to a bridge over railroad tracks where the route drops into a broad agricultural expanse. Paul Bersebach, Oc Register, 4 June 2025 Visit the sprawling estates of the island's interior to sip some of the world's best coffee amidst the untouched expanses of the Blue Mountains. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for expanse

Word History

Etymology

New Latin expansum, from Latin, neuter of expansus, past participle of expandere

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expanse was in 1637

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expanse. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

expanse

noun
ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s How to pronounce expanse (audio)
: a wide space, area, or stretch
the vast expanse of the ocean

More from Merriam-Webster on expanse

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