expression: Meaning and Definition of

ex•pres•sion

Pronunciation: (ik-spresh'un), [key]
— 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. a symbol or a combination of symbols representing a value, relation, or the like.
  10. the stylistic characteristics of an utterance (opposed to meaning).
  11. the system of verbal utterances specific to a language (opposed to content).
  12. the act of expressing or pressing out.
  13. a combination of variables, constants, and functions linked by operation symbols and any required punctuation that describe a rule for calculating a value.
    1. the action of a gene in the production of a protein or a phenotype.
    2. expressivity (def. 2).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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