expandere

Expandere is a classical Latin verb meaning to spread out, unfold, or extend. It can denote a physical spreading, such as unfolding fabric or widening a space, as well as more abstract expansion, such as enlarging territory, influence, or an argument. The word is formed from ex- “out” and pandere “to spread” and is the source of the English verb expand and the noun expansion.

In Latin, expandere is used as a transitive verb. It appears in literary, rhetorical, and legal contexts, among others. The infinitive form expandere is complemented by other verb forms to express tense, voice, mood, and aspect according to standard Latin conjugation patterns for -ere verbs. The participle and other derivatives include related forms such as expansus or expandens, used to describe something that has been spread out or is spreading.

In translation, expandere can be rendered as to spread, unfold, lay open, widen, extend, or broaden, depending on context. It also appears in phrases describing the expansion of borders, the spread of ideas, or the elaboration of discussion. The term survives in modern scholarly usage mainly as a lexical root; in English, the cognate expand and related terms expansion and expansive derive from the same Latin root.

See also: pandere, expand, expansion, expansive, expanse.