extensive

[ik-sten-siv]

adjective

1. of great extent; wide, broad.

   an extensive area.

   Synonyms: vast, ample, spacious, large, extended
   Antonyms: confined, narrow, narrow, limited

2. covering or extending over a great area.

   extensive travels.

3. far-reaching; comprehensive; thorough.

   extensive knowledge.

   Antonyms: parochial, confined, narrow, narrow, limited

4. lengthy.

   an extensive journey.

5. great in amount, number, or degree.

   an extensive fortune; extensive political influence.

6. of or having extension.

   Space is extensive, time durational.

7. noting or pertaining to a system of agriculture involving the use or cultivation of large areas of land with a minimum of labor and expense (intensive ).

extensive

/ ɪkˈstɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. having a large extent, area, scope, degree, etc; vast

   extensive deserts

   an extensive inheritance

2. widespread

   extensive coverage in the press

3. agriculture involving or farmed with minimum expenditure of capital or labour, esp depending on a large area of land Compare intensive

4. physics of or relating to a property, measurement, etc, of a macroscopic system that is proportional to the size of the system Compare intensive

   heat is an extensive property

5. logic

   1. of or relating to logical extension

   2. (of a definition) in terms of the objects to which the term applies rather than its meaning

Other Word Forms

• extensively adverb
• extensiveness noun
• extensivity noun
• nonextensive adjective
• nonextensiveness noun
• preextensive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extensive¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin extēnsīvus, equivalent to Latin extēns(us) (past participle of extendere “to stretch out”) + -īvus adjective suffix; extend, -ive

Example Sentences

The home is not far from a former property in DiCaprio’s extensive portfolio of residences, which has featured an array of incredible dwellings over the years.

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The system also performs best when there is extensive bacterial data compared to metabolite data; otherwise, accuracy can drop.

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To explore this mystery, a team led by Associate Professor Tomoaki Ishiyama of Chiba University's Digital Transformation Enhancement Council in Japan carried out one of the most extensive cosmological simulations ever performed.

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He traveled to Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and other states in a quasi-campaign before his extensive personal and financial troubles caught up with him.

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The statement pledged not to advance to human trials “if safety cannot be established through extensive research.”

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Related Words

• broad 
• comprehensive 
• considerable 
• expanded 
• huge 
• large 
• large-scale 
• lengthy 
• major 
• pervasive 
• protracted 
• sweeping 
• vast 
• voluminous 
• wide-ranging