expression

UK: /ɪkˈsprɛʃ^ən/ US: /ɪkˈsprɛʃən/ ,(ik spresh′ən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pres•sion /ɪkˈsprɛʃən/   n. 

1. the act of expressing or setting forth in words:
   [uncountable] the free expression of opinions.
2. [countable] a particular word, phrase, or form of words: "Round the bend'' is an old-fashioned expression meaning "crazy.''
3. [uncountable] the manner or form in which a thing is expressed:
   delicacy of expression.
4. a look on the face or a sound of the voice showing personal feeling:
   [countable] She had a happy expression on her face.
5. Mathematics a mathematical symbol or set of symbols representing a value, relation, or the like:
   [countable] E = mc² is an expression about the relationship of mass and energy.

ex•pres•sion•less, adj. See -press-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pres•sion  (ik spresh′ən), n. 

1. the act of expressing or setting forth in words:
   the free expression of political opinions.
2. a particular word, phrase, or form of words:
   old-fashioned expressions.
3. the manner or form in which a thing is expressed in words;
   wording;
   phrasing:
   delicacy of expression.
4. the power of expressing in words:
   joy beyond expression.
5. indication of feeling, spirit, character, etc., as on the face, in the voice, or in artistic execution:
   the lyric expression embodied in his poetry.
6. a look or intonation expressing personal reaction, feeling, etc.:
   a shocked expression.
7. the quality or power of expressing an attitude, emotion, etc.:
   a face that lacks expression; to read with expression.
8. the act of expressing or representing, as by symbols.
9. Mathematics a symbol or a combination of symbols representing a value, relation, or the like.
10. Linguistics the stylistic characteristics of an utterance (opposed to meaning).
11. Linguistics the system of verbal utterances specific to a language (opposed to content).
12. the act of expressing or pressing out.
13. Computing a combination of variables, constants, and functions linked by operation symbols and any required punctuation that describe a rule for calculating a value.
14. Genetics
    • the action of a gene in the production of a protein or a phenotype.
    • expressivity (def. 2).

• Latin expressiōn- (stem of expressiō) a pressing out. See express, -ion
• late Middle English 1425–75

ex•pres′sion•al, adj. 
ex•pres′sion•less, adj. 
ex•pres′sion•less•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. utterance, declaration, assertion, statement.
• 2. term, idiom. See phrase. 
• 3. language, diction, phraseology.
• 5. manifestation, sign.
• 6. aspect, air.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

expression / ɪkˈsprɛʃən/ noun

1. the act or an instance of transforming ideas into words
2. a manifestation of an emotion, feeling, etc, without words
3. communication of emotion through music, painting, etc
4. a look on the face that indicates mood or emotion
5. the choice of words, phrases, syntax, intonation, etc, in communicating
6. a particular phrase used conventionally to express something
7. the act or process of forcing or squeezing out a liquid
8. a variable, function, or some combination of constants, variables, or functions

exˈpressional adjective

exˈpressionless adjective