expand term

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "expand term" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to refer to the process of elaborating on or providing more detail about a specific term or concept. Example: "In the report, please expand the term 'sustainability' to include its various dimensions and implications."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

We should expand term limits to all elected offices.

The New York Times

The debate over whether to expand term limits heated up three weeks ago, when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that he would consider a bill to extend the time lawmakers can stay in office, after repeating for months that he would respect the will of voters.

The New York Times

Starting at the top of the ontology tree, users can expand term nodes to view their children and navigate down through the hierarchy.

Bioinformatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

We thus use term association discovering algorithm to expand terms based on a large set of scientific article abstracts.

Future Generation Computer Systems

If the result is too small the searcher may choose to remove terms that are too specific or expand terms with the "or" operator.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Other resources are imported into the Directory through specialized scripts, such as BioLexicon [ 71], which is used to expand terms in their synonym and morphological variants, and the body of ontologies, expressed in OWL, which constitute the DC-THERA Ontology.

Briefings in Bioinformatics

PAGE A22 LIVING WITH THEIR CHOICES Now that the City Council has voted on expanding term limits, members will face the fallout of their stances.

The New York Times

And so, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's current flirtation with expanding term limits to allow an additional four years is causing no shortage of consternation for Mr. Jones.

The New York Times

If the term is not matched in the normalised term matching, the expanded term matching will be performed.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In such a case, the ROUGE measures will penalize our system as no term that matches the expanded term (from the abstract) can be found in our summary which is derived from the rest of the article.

Bioinformatics

Then he proceeded to add general theorems on developing (expanding) terms, providing interpretations of equations, and using long division to express one class in an equation in terms of the other classes (with side conditions added).

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to clarify a concept, specify what aspect of the "term" you intend to expand upon. Is it the definition, the scope, or the application?

Common error

Avoid using "expand term" without specifying the intended outcome. Replace it with a more descriptive phrase like "elaborate on the definition" or "broaden the scope" for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "expand term" functions as a verb phrase where "expand" is the verb and "term" is the direct object. However, Ludwig AI suggests it's not standard English, implying that more precise phrasing is generally preferred.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "expand term" is understandable, Ludwig AI indicates it's not considered standard English. It essentially means to elaborate or provide more detail about a specific term. Given its infrequency and the availability of more precise alternatives like "elaborate on the term" or "define the term in detail", it's advisable to use these alternatives for clarity and grammatical correctness. The phrase appears in scientific and news contexts, but using clearer, more conventional wording enhances communication. Therefore, while not strictly incorrect, "expand term" should be used with caution, favoring more descriptive alternatives for better writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

elaborate on the term

Focuses on providing more details and explanation about the term.

define the term in detail

Emphasizes a thorough and comprehensive definition of the term.

broaden the scope of the term

Highlights the action of increasing the term's range of application or understanding.

extend the meaning of the term

Indicates an expansion of the term's conventional or accepted definition.

develop the term further

Suggests building upon an existing definition with additional information and insights.

flesh out the term

Implies adding substance and detail to a basic or incomplete term.

unpack the term

Conveys the idea of breaking down the term into its constituent parts for better understanding.

amplify the term

Suggests increasing the impact or significance of the term.

augment the term

Focuses on adding to or supplementing the term with extra information.

inflate the term

Indicates expanding the term, often to an excessive or unwarranted degree (use with caution).

FAQs

What does it mean to "expand" on a term?

To "expand" on a term means to elaborate on it, providing more detail and explanation to enhance understanding. It's about adding depth and breadth to the initial concept.

How can I use the phrase "elaborate on the term" in a sentence?

You might say, "In this essay, I will elaborate on the term 'cognitive dissonance' by providing examples and real-world applications."

What are some alternatives to "define the term in detail"?

Consider using phrases like "explain the term", "describe the term", or "clarify the term", depending on the specific context and desired level of detail.

Is it always necessary to "expand on a term" when writing?

Not always, but it's essential when the term is complex, unfamiliar to your audience, or central to your argument. Providing additional information and context ensures clear communication.