- 1 [uncountable] an amount of an area or of a place that is empty or that is available for use synonym room floor/office/shelf, etc. space We must make good use of the available space. That desk takes up too much space. There is very little storage space in the department. Can we make space for an extra chair? How much disk space will it take up? (= on a computer) Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelarge, vast, wide-open, … … of spaceamount verb + spacefill, occupy, make use of, … prepositionspace between phrasesbe short of space, run short of space, time and space, … See full entry
- 2 [countable] an area or a place that is empty a large/small/narrow/wide space a space two metres by three metres a parking space crowded together in a confined space I'll clear a space for your books. Put it in the space between the table and the wall. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelarge, vast, wide-open, … … of spaceamount verb + spacefill, occupy, make use of, … prepositionspace between phrasesbe short of space, run short of space, time and space, … See full entry
- 3 [uncountable] the quality of being large and empty, allowing you to move freely synonym spaciousness The room has been furnished and decorated to give a feeling of space.
- 4 [countable, uncountable] a large area of land that has no buildings on it the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies It's a city with fine buildings and plenty of open space. Synonymslandlot ground space plotThese words all mean an area of land that is used for a particular purpose.land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:agricultural landlot (North American English) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:building lots a parking lotground an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :The kids were playing on waste ground near the school. the site of an ancient burial groundland, lot or ground?Land is used for large areas of open land in the country, especially when it is used for farming. A lot is often a smaller piece of land in a town or city, especially one intended for building or parking on. Ground is any area of open land; a ground is an area of land designed or used for a particular purpose or activity.space a large area of land that has no buildings on it:The city has plenty of open space. the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairiesplot a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:She bought a small plot of land to build a house. a vegetable plotlot or plot? Either a lot or a plot can be used for building on. Only a plot can also be used for growing vegetables or burying people.Patterns an open space open/empty/vacant/waste/derelict land/ground a/an empty/vacant lot/plot Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelarge, vast, wide-open, … … of spaceamount verb + spacefill, occupy, make use of, … prepositionspace between phrasesbe short of space, run short of space, time and space, … See full entry
- 5[countable] a place, especially a room or a building, that can be used for a particular purpose The venue is a great space for music. various gallery and exhibition spaces see also safe space outside earth’s atmosphere
- 6 (also outer space) [uncountable] the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are the first woman in space the possibility of visitors from outer space the US space programme a space flight/mission Wordfinderuniverseasteroid, astronomy, comet, constellation, cosmic, galaxy, meteorite, orbit, space, the universe Wordfinderspaceastronaut, countdown, dock, launch, mission, orbit, rocket, satellite, space, weightless Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedeep, outer verb + spacego into space + nounexploration, programme/program, research, … prepositionin space phrasesthe depths of space, the edge of space, space and time, … See full entry See related entries: The universe period of time
- 7[countable, usually singular] a period of time Forty-four people died in the space of five days. They had achieved a lot in a short space of time. Leave a space of two weeks between appointments. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelong, brief, short, … prepositionfor the space of, in the space of, within the space of, … phrasesa space of time See full entry in writing/printing
- 8[uncountable, countable] the part of a line, page or document that is empty Don't waste space by leaving a wide margin. There was not enough space to print all the letters we received. Leave a space after the comma. freedom
- 9[uncountable] the freedom and the time to think or do what you want to She was upset and needed space. You have to give teenagers plenty of space. see also breathing space Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelong, brief, short, … prepositionfor the space of, in the space of, within the space of, … phrasesa space of time See full entry where things exist/move
- 10[uncountable] the whole area in which all things exist and move It is quite possible that space and time are finite. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedeep, outer verb + spacego into space + nounexploration, programme/program, research, … prepositionin space phrasesthe depths of space, the edge of space, space and time, … See full entry See related entries: The universe Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old French espace, from Latin spatium. Current verb senses date from the late 17th cent.Extra examples Avoid using the cleaner in a confined space. Fill in the blank spaces in the table. He fell asleep in the space of a few minutes. He liked the wide open spaces of the Australian countryside. He was sharing office space with a lawyer. I was looking for a free parking space. I’m running short of disk space. She left a large space empty at the bottom of the page. She moved out of the house because she wanted her own personal space. She returned to top-class tennis after a space of two years. She sat there motionless, staring into space. The exhibition takes up most of the available space in the gallery. The extension of the deadline gives us a breathing space. The inner residential areas don’t have many green spaces. The job holder will be on probation for the space of six months. The magazine is struggling to fill all its advertising space. The new flat has ample living space. The page layout included plenty of white space. The plane strayed into French air space. The potted plants take up too much space. The recording includes a 5-second space between tracks. The writer lacked the time and space to develop his idea fully. They have achieved a great deal in a short space of time. They intend to begin manned space missions next year. They moved the sofa to make space for the piano. This chisel is useful for getting into awkward spaces. We’d better clear a space for the new computer. You are a pathetic waste of space! a large amount of space the crawl space under my house the fabric of space and time the first man in space the narrow space between the sofa and the wall the space between the bookshelves these wonderful pictures from the edge of space After the disaster, manned space flights were suspended for over two years. Could you make space for another person? I’ll clear a space for your books. Is there enough space for a table in here? Leave a space between your car and the next. Light, bright colours help give a feeling of space. That desk takes up too much space. The city has fine buildings and plenty of open space. The company plays a major role in the European space programme. There’s plenty of space in the new offices. There’s very little storage space in the department. To create more space in your home, get rid of all that clutter. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space. We must make the best use of the available space. You’ll need a room with sufficient space for you to move around in. a parking space office/floor/shelf/disk spaceIdioms
empty area
be in a good, bad, dark, etc. place (less frequent be in a good, bad, dark, etc. space) jump to other results
to look straight in front of you without looking at a particular thing, usually because you are thinking about something He sat staring into space, like a man in a trance.
(informal) a person who is useless or no good at anything
(informal) used in orders, to tell somebody to wait for more news about something to be announced I can't tell you any more right now, but watch this space.
Check pronunciation: space
