'expansion-opposed' originates as a modern English compound combining 'expansion' and 'opposed', where 'expansion' comes from Latin 'expansio' (from 'expandere', meaning 'to spread out') and 'opposed' comes from Latin 'opponere' (meaning 'to set against, resist').

'expansion' entered English via Latin 'expansio' and Old French influences and developed through Middle English as 'expansion', while 'opposed' developed from Latin 'opponere' through Old French/Anglo-Norman forms into Middle English 'opposen'/'opposed'; the compound form is a modern English creation formed by joining the two words with a hyphen.

Initially, the components meant 'spreading out' (expansion) and 'to set against' (opposed); combined in modern usage they simply denote 'being against spreading or growth', a straightforward compositional meaning that has not undergone major semantic shift.