extensive
Americanadjective
-
an extensive area.
-
covering or extending over a great area.
extensive travels.
-
far-reaching; comprehensive; thorough.
extensive knowledge.
-
an extensive journey.
-
great in amount, number, or degree.
an extensive fortune; extensive political influence.
-
of or having extension.
Space is extensive, time durational.
-
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 (opposed to intensive).
adjective
-
having a large extent, area, scope, degree, etc; vast
extensive deserts
an extensive inheritance
-
widespread
extensive coverage in the press
-
agriculture involving or farmed with minimum expenditure of capital or labour, esp depending on a large area of land Compare intensive
-
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
-
logic
-
of or relating to logical extension
-
(of a definition) in terms of the objects to which the term applies rather than its meaning
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of extensive
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; see extend, -ive
Explanation
When something is far-reaching or expansive it is extensive. When your friend knows every single place and time that his favorite band has played any given song, he has extensive knowledge of that band. Use the adjective extensive for something that goes on and on and on. It works for anything that covers a lot of territory either in physical space, as in "the gardens at the palace are extensive," or conceptually, as in "her knowledge of the mortgage-backed securities market is extensive." If you are a farmer, you would also use extensive to mean that you are able to work a lot of land without too much effort or manual labor.
Vocabulary lists containing extensive
Hatchet
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!
List 8
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!
A Christmas Carol
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Instead, magma appears to be distributed across extensive regions of partially molten rock known as "magma mush" systems.
From Science Daily • Jun. 28, 2026
Police, including marine teams, have been carrying out extensive searches at the 150-acre nature reserve.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026
The Greenspan Fed never issued the extensive and long-term forward guidance that later became so prevalent at the central bank.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
Those who find extensive damage to their roofs might be stuck between two options: filing an insurance claim, which could trigger a premium increase, or coughing up the cash for the necessary repairs or replacement.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
“Normally, you receive extensive training before you go into the field, but we’re in a pinch at the moment. There’s an operation in three weeks, and we find ourselves one person down.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
