The Chinese word 扩张 (kuòzhāng), meaning "to expand" or "expansion", is a compound formed by combining two characters with similar meanings to reinforce a central concept. The first character, 扩 (kuò), means "to enlarge" or "to widen". The second character, 张 (zhāng), carries the meaning of "to open up", "to stretch", or "to spread". When paired together, they create a synergistic term where both elements contribute to the idea of increasing in scope, size, or influence, resulting in a word that is more nuanced and emphatic than either character alone, specifically denoting outward extension or aggressive enlargement, as in territorial, economic, or military expansion.