space
Americannoun
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the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur.
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the portion or extent of this in a given instance; extent or room in three dimensions.
the space occupied by a body.
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extent or area in two dimensions; a particular extent of surface.
to fill out blank spaces in a document.
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Fine Arts.
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the designed and structured surface of a picture.
In Mondrian's later work he organized space in highly complex rhythms.
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the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.
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a seat, berth, or room on a train, airplane, etc.
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a place available for a particular purpose.
a parking space.
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linear distance; a particular distance.
trees separated by equal spaces.
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Mathematics. a system of objects with relations between the objects defined.
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extent, or a particular extent, of time.
a space of two hours.
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an interval of time; a while.
After a space he continued his story.
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an area or interval allowed for or taken by advertising, as in a periodical, on the radio, etc.
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Music. the interval between two adjacent lines of the staff.
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an interval or blank area in text.
a space between the letters.
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Printing. one of the blank pieces of metal, less than type-high, used to separate words, sentences, etc.
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Telegraphy. an interval during the transmitting of a message when the key is not in contact.
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radio or television broadcast time allowed or available for a program, advertisement, etc.
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freedom or opportunity to express oneself, resolve a personal difficulty, be alone, etc.; allowance, understanding, or noninterference.
Right now, you can help by giving me some space.
verb (used with object)
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to fix the space or spaces of; divide into spaces.
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to set some distance apart.
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Printing, Writing.
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to separate (words, letters, or lines) by spaces.
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to extend by inserting more space or spaces (usually followed byout ).
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verb (used with or without object)
adjective
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of, relating to, or concerned with outer space or deep space.
a space mission.
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designed for or suitable to use in the exploration of outer space or deep space: specially packaged space food for astronauts.
space tools;
specially packaged space food for astronauts.
verb phrase
noun
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the unlimited three-dimensional expanse in which all material objects are located
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an interval of distance or time between two points, objects, or events
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a blank portion or area
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unoccupied area or room
there is no space for a table
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( in combination )
space-saving
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freedom to do what a person wishes to for his or her own personal development
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the region beyond the earth's atmosphere containing the other planets of the solar system, stars, galaxies, etc; universe
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( as modifier )
a space probe
space navigation
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the region beyond the earth's atmosphere occurring between the celestial bodies of the universe. The density is normally negligible although cosmic rays, meteorites, gas clouds, etc, can occur. It can be divided into cislunar space (between the earth and moon), interplanetary space , interstellar space , and intergalactic space
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( as modifier )
a space station
a space simulator
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a seat or place, as on a train, aircraft, etc
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printing
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a piece of metal, less than type-high, used to separate letters or words in hot-metal printing
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any of the gaps used to separate letters, words, or lines in photocomposition, desktop publishing, etc
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music any of the gaps between the lines that make up the staff
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maths a collection of unspecified points having properties that obey a specified set of axioms
Euclidean space
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Also called: spacing. telegraphy the period of time that separates complete letters, digits, and other characters in Morse code
verb
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to place or arrange at intervals or with spaces between
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to divide into or by spaces
to space one's time evenly
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printing to separate (letters, words, or lines) by the insertion of spaces
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The region of the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere.
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◆ The part of this region within the solar system is known as interplanetary space.
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◆ The part of this region beyond the solar system but within the Milky Way or within another galaxy is known as interstellar space.
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◆ The part of this region between the Milky Way and other galaxies is known as intergalactic space.
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The familiar three-dimensional region or field of everyday experience.
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Mathematics A mathematical object, typically a set of sets, that is usually structured to define a range across which variables or other objects (such as a coordinate system) can be defined.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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spacesimple
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spacessimple
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have spacedperfect
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has spacedperfect
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am spacingprogressive
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are spacingprogressive
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is spacingprogressive
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have been spacingperfect progressive
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has been spacingperfect progressive
Past
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spacedsimple
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had spacedperfect
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was spacingprogressive
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were spacingprogressive
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had been spacingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of space
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French espace, from Latin spatium
Explanation
Before hiring a moving company to bring a grand piano into your studio apartment, you should measure how much space you actually have available. Space, along with time, is one of the basic concepts of reality, but there are plenty of non-philosophical ways to use it. Don't let your dog sleep in the bed — she'll take up too much space. There's a space between each of these words. If you're into rockets, you probably want to travel in space, beyond the earth's atmosphere. A space in your day is free time. (Weird, right?) The root word spatium means "area covered" in Latin.
Vocabulary lists containing space
Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Earth and the Solar System - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Earth and the Solar System - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
California congressional leader Adam Schiff and others are concerned about Netflix growing into the studio space.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
What I loved about the space was the belief that my mom would have liked it here.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I felt I wanted to move away, he was invading my personal space," she told the court.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
In 1982, with a growing family at home, Fanara moved the restaurant to a larger space on Vermont Avenue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Some ancient redesigning of the house had left a crawl space in that corner and we’d been secreting jewelry, silver coins, and other valuables there since the start of the occupation.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The movement to reduce dependence on social media and, by extension, Big Tech goes far beyond recommending phone-free spaces and regular digital detoxes.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
As Rizzo’s study notes, this also means that the interactions with different people and cultures that used to happen organically in neighborhoods and in social spaces are increasingly being replaced by digital simulation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
If England players were to run, off the ball, into spaces that were empty, they would have found themselves free.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Restaurants around the world are embracing “grandmacore dining,” with recipes passed down through generations and spaces designed to feel like grandma’s house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Snow-covered fir trees grow straight up out of the floor and huge ice sculptures of dancing penguins and laughing polar bears fill up the spaces between the candlelit tables.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, making sure they are evenly spaced.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
She can request an hour outside on the roof where she can take off her protective gear and sit in a chair, spaced far apart from others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Houses are well spaced with large lawns and gardens.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
In truth, the Hollywood stars elevated to the governorship, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been the exception — spaced nearly four decades apart — and far from the norm.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
Glowing panels like the one they’d seen in the hatch room were spaced about ten feet apart, providing the only light.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Deschamps identified that the spacing of France's defensive set-up was off and that offensively the players were in zones that didn't best suit many of them.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Coach Mike Brown’s “five-out” approach ensures every player is a 3-point threat, creating wide spacing to stretch defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Slowly but surely, he broke down picking the hook, separating verses using slick spacing, and adding layers of intricately placed sounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
But unlike the tradwife with her gaggle of youngsters underfoot, the orangutan mother sustains this intense caretaking by spacing her kids seven or so years apart.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
He kept nibbling, spacing, arranging, and rearranging until sleep overcame him and he curled up tight and nodded away.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
