expansion
expansion — noun
1. The process by which something becomes larger in physical size, greater in amoun
The process by which something becomes larger in physical size, greater in amount or number, or wider in scope or importance — for example, when a company opens branches in new countries, a city adds more buildings and suburbs, or a heated gas fills a bigger volume.
The company's rapid expansion into Asian markets created over 200 new jobs.
collocation: expansion into [market/region]
Tuan measured the expansion of the metal rod when he heated it to 200 degrees.
scientific context: thermal expansion of materials
The university announced a major expansion of its engineering programme next year.
Esteban noticed the city expansion had reached the village where he grew up.
Economic expansion usually leads to more opportunities for young workers.
- growth
broader term; can refer to natural or organic increase, not necessarily deliberate
- increase
focuses on amount or number rather than physical size or scope
- enlargement
more specific to physical size; less common for abstract concepts like importance
- extension
suggests adding extra length or time to something already existing
- contraction
the process of becoming smaller in size or less in economic activity
- reduction
focuses on decrease in amount, number, or degree
文法句型
expansion + of + noun (what is growing)
expansion + into + noun (new area or market)
adjective + expansion (rapid / major / gradual expansion)
用法筆記
Often used with of to name what is growing (expansion of the population) or with into to name a new area being entered (expansion into Europe). Can be countable when referring to a particular instance (a rapid expansion of the tech sector) or uncountable when speaking generally (rapid expansion can cause problems).