Synonyms for Expansion: 20+ Words, Meanings, Examples & Usage

Quick Answer

The best synonyms for expansion depend on what you mean. Use growth for increasing size, success, or activity; increase for a higher amount or level; enlargement for physical size; extension for something made longer or larger; development for gradual progress; spread for movement across an area; and elaboration when you add more detail to an idea or explanation.

What Does Expansion Mean?

Have you ever used the word expansion several times in an essay, report, or article and wanted a more precise alternative?

The noun expansion generally refers to the process of becoming larger, wider, greater, or more extensive. It can describe a growing business, a larger building, a wider road, a spreading idea, or even additional detail in an explanation.

For example:

The company is planning an expansion into new markets.

Here, growth or development may work, but they do not express exactly the same idea. If you are talking about a road, widening may be better. If you are adding information to an argument, elaboration is more precise.

That is why learning synonyms for expansion is not simply about memorizing a long list. The goal is to choose the word that matches your exact meaning.

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Expansion Pronunciation

IPA: /ɪkˈspænʃən/

Pronunciation: ik-SPAN-shuhn

The pronunciation is essentially the same in standard British and American English. Cambridge lists expansion as a noun and provides British and American pronunciation information.

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Part of Speech

Expansion is a noun.

Related forms

• expand — verb
• expanded — adjective/past participle
• expanding — adjective/present participle
• expansion — noun
• expansive — adjective
• expansively — adverb
• expansiveness — noun

Examples

• The business plans to expand.
• The company has entered an expanding market.
• The company announced a major expansion.
• The manager described an expansive growth strategy.

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Grammar: How to Use Expansion

The most common patterns include:

• expansion of + noun
  the expansion of the business
• expansion into + place or market
  the expansion into Asian markets
• expansion in + area or activity
  an expansion in production
• room for expansion
  The factory has room for expansion.
• scope for expansion
  There is little scope for further expansion.
• rapid/steady/major expansion
  The company experienced rapid expansion.

A common learner mistake is to assume that every synonym can fit these patterns. Many cannot.

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Quick Synonym Guide

Word	Best Meaning	Register	CEFR Guide	Frequency
growth	becoming larger or more successful	Neutral	B1	Very common
increase	becoming greater in amount or level	Neutral	A2	Very common
enlargement	becoming physically larger	Neutral/Formal	B2	Common
extension	making something longer or adding a part	Neutral	B1	Very common
development	growth with progress or change	Neutral/Formal	B1	Very common
spread	reaching across a wider area	Neutral	A2	Very common
widening	becoming wider	Neutral	B2	Common
broadening	becoming wider in range or scope	Neutral/Formal	B2	Common
augmentation	an increase through addition	Formal	C1	Uncommon
amplification	making something stronger or greater	Formal/Technical	C1	Common
proliferation	rapid increase in numbers	Formal/Academic	C1	Uncommon
elaboration	adding detail	Academic/Formal	C1	Common
rise	movement to a higher amount or level	Neutral	A2	Very common
addition	something added	Neutral	A2	Very common
multiplication	increase in number	Formal/Technical	B2	Common
diffusion	spreading through an area or group	Academic/Technical	C1	Uncommon
magnification	making something appear larger	Technical	B2	Common
dilation	becoming wider or more open	Technical	C1	Uncommon
distension	stretching or swelling	Medical/Technical	C1	Rare
swelling	becoming physically larger	Neutral/Medical	B1	Common

CEFR labels here are practical learner guidance rather than official universal classifications. Dictionary and corpus resources do not always assign exactly the same CEFR level to every word.

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The Best Synonyms for Expansion

1. Growth

Meaning: Growth means becoming larger, more successful, or more developed.

Examples:

1. The company has shown steady growth over the past five years.
2. Population growth has increased demand for housing.

Best used when: Talking about businesses, populations, economies, skills, or general progress.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Business, academic, everyday
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• business growth
• economic growth
• population growth

Connotation: Usually positive when it describes progress or success.

When not to use it: Do not use growth when you specifically mean making something longer or wider.

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2. Increase

Meaning: An increase is a rise in amount, number, size, or level.

Examples:

1. The company reported an increase in sales.
2. We need an increase in funding to complete the project.

Best used when: You are describing a measurable change.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Everyday, business, academic
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• increase in demand
• price increase
• significant increase

When not to use it: Use growth when you want to emphasize gradual development rather than simply a higher amount.

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3. Enlargement

Meaning: Enlargement means making something physically larger.

Examples:

1. The hospital needs an enlargement of its emergency department.
2. The image showed more detail after enlargement.

Best used when: Discussing physical size, buildings, photographs, or body parts.

Tone: Neutral/Formal
Register: Technical, formal, everyday
Frequency: Common

Common collocations:

• image enlargement
• enlargement of the building
• enlargement of the area

When not to use it: Do not normally use it for a company’s financial success.

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4. Extension

Meaning: Extension means making something longer, larger, or more extensive, often by adding something.

Examples:

1. The school built an extension to its library.
2. We requested an extension of the deadline.

Best used when: Something gains extra length, time, space, or an additional part.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Everyday, business, formal
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• building extension
• deadline extension
• extension of services

When not to use it: Extension does not automatically mean overall growth.

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5. Development

Meaning: Development means gradual growth, progress, or change.

Examples:

1. The project supports the development of rural communities.
2. The development of new technology has changed the industry.

Best used when: Expansion also involves improvement or progress.

Tone: Neutral/Formal
Register: Academic, business, professional
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• economic development
• product development
• professional development

When not to use it: If you only mean that something became physically larger, enlargement may be more precise.

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6. Spread

Meaning: Spread means moving outward or reaching more people or places.

Examples:

1. The spread of information was remarkably fast.
2. The company wants to increase the spread of its services.

Best used when: Something reaches a wider area, population, or group.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Everyday, academic, journalism
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• spread of information
• spread of disease
• spread across the region

When not to use it: Do not use it when the main idea is simply increased value or size.

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7. Widening

Meaning: Widening means becoming or making something wider.

Examples:

1. The widening of the highway reduced traffic.
2. Researchers are studying the widening gap between the two groups.

Best used when: Width or a gap increases.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Everyday, technical, academic
Frequency: Common

Common collocations:

• widening gap
• widening road
• widening difference

When not to use it: Do not use widening for every type of growth.

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8. Broadening

Meaning: Broadening means becoming wider in range, choice, knowledge, or scope.

Examples:

1. Travel helped with the broadening of her cultural knowledge.
2. The course focuses on broadening students’ skills.

Best used when: The range or scope of something becomes wider.

Tone: Neutral/Formal
Register: Academic, professional
Frequency: Common

Connotation: Usually positive.

When not to use it: Do not use it for simple physical enlargement.

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9. Augmentation

Meaning: Augmentation means an increase created by adding something.

Examples:

1. The project required an augmentation of its resources.
2. The system allows the augmentation of storage capacity.

Best used when: Writing formally about added resources, capacity, or capability.

Tone: Formal
Register: Academic, technical, professional
Frequency: Uncommon

When not to use it: In everyday conversation, increase or addition usually sounds more natural.

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10. Amplification

Meaning: Amplification means making something stronger, louder, or more noticeable.

Examples:

1. The device provides amplification for weak signals.
2. Social media can cause rapid amplification of a message.

Best used when: Something becomes stronger or more intense.

Tone: Formal/Technical
Register: Scientific, technical, professional
Frequency: Common

When not to use it: It is not a universal substitute for physical expansion.

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11. Proliferation

Meaning: Proliferation means a rapid increase in the number of things.

Examples:

1. The proliferation of mobile apps has changed consumer behavior.
2. The internet has encouraged the proliferation of independent publishers.

Best used when: Many similar things appear or increase quickly.

Tone: Formal/Academic
Register: Academic, journalism, professional
Frequency: Uncommon

Connotation: Often neutral, but it can sound negative when describing unwanted things.

When not to use it: Do not use it for the simple enlargement of one object.

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12. Elaboration

Meaning: Elaboration means adding more detail or explanation.

Examples:

1. The teacher asked for further elaboration on the argument.
2. The report needs more elaboration before publication.

Best used when: You expand an explanation, idea, argument, or piece of writing.

Tone: Formal
Register: Academic, professional
Frequency: Common

When not to use it: It does not normally describe physical growth.

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13. Rise

Meaning: A rise is an increase in amount, level, price, or value.

Examples:

1. The company reported a rise in revenue.
2. There was a sudden rise in demand.

Best used when: Describing measurable upward movement.

Tone: Neutral
Register: Everyday, business, journalism
Frequency: Very common

Common collocations:

• rise in prices
• rise in demand
• sharp rise

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14. Addition

Meaning: An addition is something that has been added.

Examples:

1. The new laboratory is a valuable addition to the university.
2. The software received several useful additions.

Best used when: Expansion happens because something new is added.

Tone: Neutral
Frequency: Very common

When not to use it: Addition describes the new element more directly than the overall process of becoming larger.

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15. Multiplication

Meaning: Multiplication can describe an increase in number, especially through repeated growth or reproduction.

Examples:

1. The multiplication of online services has increased consumer choice.
2. Rapid cell multiplication occurs during certain biological processes.

Best used when: The number of things increases repeatedly.

Tone: Formal/Technical
Frequency: Common

When not to use it: In ordinary business writing, increase or growth is usually clearer.

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16. Diffusion

Meaning: Diffusion means spreading through a wider area, group, or system.

Examples:

1. The diffusion of technology changed the industry.
2. Researchers studied the diffusion of new ideas.

Best used when: Ideas, technology, substances, or information spread.

Tone: Academic/Technical
Frequency: Uncommon

When not to use it: Do not use it as a general replacement for expansion.

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17. Magnification

Meaning: Magnification means making something appear larger.

Examples:

1. The microscope provides high magnification.
2. The photograph was examined under greater magnification.

Best used when: Talking about images, lenses, microscopes, or visual size.

Tone: Technical
Frequency: Common in science

When not to use it: It does not normally mean business or economic growth.

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18. Dilation

Meaning: Dilation means becoming wider or more open.

Examples:

1. The doctor measured the dilation of the pupil.
2. The material showed slight dilation when heated.

Best used when: Discussing medical, scientific, or physical processes.

Tone: Technical
Frequency: Uncommon

When not to use it: Avoid it in normal business or everyday writing.

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19. Distension

Meaning: Distension means stretching or swelling because something becomes expanded or filled.

Examples:

1. The scan showed abdominal distension.
2. The engineers measured the distension of the material under pressure.

Best used when: Writing about medical or engineering contexts.

Tone: Technical/Medical
Frequency: Rare

When not to use it: It is not a general synonym for business expansion.

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20. Swelling

Meaning: Swelling means becoming larger, often because of fluid, pressure, or inflammation.

Examples:

1. The injury caused swelling around his ankle.
2. The material showed slight swelling after absorbing water.

Best used when: Describing physical enlargement.

Tone: Neutral/Medical
Frequency: Common

When not to use it: Do not use swelling for normal business growth unless you intentionally want a negative or physical metaphor.

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Strongest Synonyms vs. Related Words

Not every word listed in a thesaurus is an equally good replacement.

Strongest everyday choices

• growth
• increase
• development
• extension
• enlargement
• spread

Strong context-dependent choices

• widening
• broadening
• augmentation
• amplification
• proliferation
• elaboration

Related or technical words

• diffusion
• magnification
• dilation
• distension
• swelling
• multiplication

This distinction is important. Cambridge includes words such as enlargement, increase, augmentation, growth, development, amplification, extension, widening, swelling, and distention in its thesaurus, while Collins separates different meanings of expansion rather than treating every word as interchangeable.

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Choose the Right Synonym

If you mean…	Choose…	Example
A business becoming larger	growth	The company experienced strong growth.
A number becoming higher	increase	There was an increase in sales.
A building becoming physically larger	enlargement	The hospital needs an enlargement.
Something becoming longer	extension	The project received an extension.
Progress over time	development	The development of the industry was rapid.
Reaching more people or places	spread	The spread of the service was impressive.
Becoming wider	widening	The widening of the road helped traffic.
Becoming broader in scope	broadening	The broadening of the curriculum helped students.
Adding detail	elaboration	The paragraph needs elaboration.
Increasing rapidly in number	proliferation	The proliferation of apps created new choices.
Making something stronger	amplification	Signal amplification improved reception.
Becoming larger under physical pressure	distension	The scan showed abdominal distension.

Best learner rule: Do not ask only, “What word means expansion?” Ask, “What kind of expansion do I mean?”

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Commonly Confused Words

Word	Main idea	Example
Expansion	Becoming larger or more extensive	The company announced its expansion.
Growth	Becoming larger, more successful, or more developed	The company achieved strong growth.
Increase	A higher amount, number, or level	There was an increase in sales.
Extension	Making something longer or adding an extra part	They built an extension to the house.
Development	Growth involving progress or change	The development of new technology continues.

Expansion vs. Growth

These are close, but not identical.

Expansion often emphasizes extending size, scope, reach, or operations.

Growth often emphasizes an increase that happens over time.

Compare:

The company plans an expansion into Canada.

The company has experienced strong growth.

Both sentences are natural, but the first focuses on extending operations while the second focuses on the company’s increasing size or success.

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Common Mistakes

Common Mistake Box

Mistake 1

Wrong: The company experienced a large enlargement in profits.

Better: The company experienced a large increase in profits.

Why: Enlargement normally concerns physical size. Increase fits amounts and figures better.

Mistake 2

Wrong: The road experienced an increase.

Better: The road underwent widening.

Why: A road can become wider, but increase does not tell the reader what changed.

Mistake 3

Wrong: The report needs more expansion.

Better: The report needs more elaboration.

Why: If you mean more explanation or detail, elaboration is more precise.

Mistake 4

Wrong: The proliferation of the office building.

Better: The expansion of the office building.

Why: Proliferation normally describes a rapid increase in the number of things, not the enlargement of one building.

Mistake 5

Wrong: The microscope caused expansion of the image.

Better: The microscope provided magnification.

Why: Magnification specifically describes making an image appear larger.

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Writing Tips

For Essays

Use development, growth, increase, or broadening according to your meaning.

The development of digital education has changed classroom learning.

For Business Writing

Use growth, expansion, increase, or extension.

The company is considering expansion into new markets.

For Academic Writing

Words such as development, diffusion, elaboration, proliferation, and broadening may be useful when their meanings fit.

For Blog Writing

Prefer familiar words such as growth, increase, spread, and development unless a more precise word improves the sentence.

For Professional Emails

Do not use a complicated synonym simply to sound intelligent.

Good: We expect business growth next year.

Less natural: We anticipate substantial business augmentation next year.

The first sentence is simpler and more natural for most readers.

For Stories

More descriptive words such as spread, widening, expanse, and unfolding can work well when the context supports them.

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Word Origin and Etymology

Expansion comes from Latin expandere, meaning roughly “to spread out.” English borrowed the noun through Late Latin expansio. Historical sources date early English uses to the 17th century.

The word family reflects the same central idea:

expand → expansion → expansive

The original “spread out” idea still appears in modern meanings such as physical enlargement, business growth, and the widening of an area or activity.

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American vs. British English

There is no important spelling difference between British and American English:

• British: expansion
• American: expansion

The pronunciation is also very similar in both varieties.

The main differences appear in the surrounding vocabulary rather than the word itself. For example, business and construction terminology can sometimes vary between British and American English, but expansion is standard in both.

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Frequency and Register Guide

If you are an English learner, this is a useful way to prioritize the vocabulary.

Learn first

Very common:

• growth
• increase
• development
• extension
• spread
• rise
• addition

These words appear frequently in everyday, academic, and professional English.

Learn next

Common but more specific:

• enlargement
• widening
• broadening
• amplification
• multiplication

Learn for advanced English

Less common or specialized:

• augmentation
• proliferation
• diffusion
• magnification
• dilation
• distension

Good to Know: A rare synonym is not automatically a better synonym. In clear writing, the most precise familiar word is usually the strongest choice.

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Antonyms of Expansion

The opposite of expansion depends on the context.

Common antonyms include:

• contraction
• decrease
• reduction
• shrinkage
• shortening
• curtailment
• cutback

For example:

Economic expansion ↔ economic contraction

An increase in prices ↔ a decrease in prices

An extension of a deadline ↔ a shortening of a deadline

Cambridge and Thesaurus.com both identify several of these as antonyms of expansion.

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Related Vocabulary

Word Family

• expand
• expanded
• expanding
• expansion
• expansive
• expansively
• expansiveness

Useful Expressions

• expand a business
• expand into a market
• expand your knowledge
• expand an argument
• expand on an idea
• room for expansion
• scope for expansion
• rapid expansion
• business expansion
• economic expansion

Common Collocations

• rapid expansion
• major expansion
• business expansion
• market expansion
• economic expansion
• expansion plans
• expansion project
• expansion into new markets
• expansion of services
• further expansion

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Mini Practice

Fill in the Blanks

Choose from growth, widening, elaboration, spread, and extension.

1. The company experienced rapid ________.
2. The government approved the ________ of the highway.
3. The professor asked for further ________ of the argument.
4. The ________ of online education has changed learning.
5. We requested an ________ to the deadline.

Answers

1. growth
2. widening
3. elaboration
4. spread
5. extension

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Rewrite the Sentence

Replace expansion with the most precise word.

1. The company plans expansion into Europe.

Possible answer:

The company plans growth into European markets.

However, expansion is also perfectly natural here and may actually be preferable because it clearly describes the company’s move into a new geographical market.

2. The essay needs expansion.

Better:

The essay needs elaboration.

3. The highway needs expansion.

Better:

The highway needs widening.

4. There was an expansion in sales.

Better:

There was an increase in sales.

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Matching Exercise

Match each word with its best meaning.

Word	Meaning
1. Growth	A. Adding more detail
2. Elaboration	B. Becoming wider
3. Widening	C. Becoming larger or more successful
4. Diffusion	D. Spreading through an area
5. Magnification	E. Making an image appear larger

Answers

1. C
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. E

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FAQ: Synonyms for Expansion

What is the best synonym for expansion?

The best synonym depends on context. Growth, increase, development, extension, and enlargement are useful general alternatives. For more specific meanings, use widening for greater width, spread for reaching an area, and elaboration for adding detail.

What is a simple word for expansion?

Growth and increase are two of the simplest alternatives. For example, “business expansion” can often become “business growth,” while “an expansion in demand” can become “an increase in demand.”

What is a formal synonym for expansion?

Formal alternatives include augmentation, development, amplification, proliferation, and elaboration. However, these words have different meanings. Choose one only when its specific meaning matches your sentence.

Is growth the same as expansion?

Growth and expansion overlap, but they are not identical. Growth often focuses on becoming larger or more successful over time. Expansion can emphasize extending size, operations, territory, scope, or reach. A company can therefore experience growth without specifically announcing an expansion plan.

What is a synonym for expansion in business?

Common business alternatives include growth, development, increase, extension, and enlargement. Expansion is particularly useful when a company enters new markets, opens new locations, adds facilities, or increases the scope of its operations.

What is a synonym for expansion in academic writing?

It depends on the meaning. Use development for progress, elaboration for additional explanation, broadening for a wider scope, and diffusion for the spread of ideas or technology. These are not interchangeable in every academic sentence.

Is enlargement a synonym for expansion?

Yes, in some contexts. Enlargement focuses strongly on making something physically larger, while expansion has a broader range of meanings. Dictionaries list enlargement as a synonym in the physical-size sense.

What is the opposite of expansion?

Common opposites include contraction, decrease, reduction, shrinkage, shortening, curtailment, and cutback. The best choice depends on the sentence. For example, contraction commonly contrasts with economic expansion, while reduction contrasts with an increase in an amount.

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Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word is most natural for increasing business success?

A. Distension
B. Growth
C. Dilation
D. Magnification

2. Which word means adding more explanation or detail?

A. Swelling
B. Elaboration
C. Widening
D. Extension

3. Which word best describes making a road wider?

A. Growth
B. Diffusion
C. Widening
D. Development

4. Which word describes a rapid increase in the number of things?

A. Proliferation
B. Enlargement
C. Extension
D. Expanse

5. Which word is most closely connected with making an image appear larger?

A. Development
B. Magnification
C. Growth
D. Addition

Answer Key

1. B. Growth
2. B. Elaboration
3. C. Widening
4. A. Proliferation
5. B. Magnification

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Conclusion

The best synonyms for expansion depend on the exact change you want to describe. Use growth for business or general progress, increase for a higher amount, enlargement for physical size, extension for something made longer, development for progress, spread for reaching a wider area, and elaboration for adding detail.

Instead of choosing the most complicated word, choose the most accurate one. Practice these distinctions in essays, emails, reports, conversations, and everyday writing to build a stronger and more natural English vocabulary.

Trusted References

• Cambridge Dictionary and Thesaurus
• Collins English Thesaurus
• Thesaurus.com
• Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries
• Merriam Webster Dictionary