extent

American  

[ik-stent] / ɪkˈstɛnt /

noun

1. the space or degree to which a thing extends; length, area, volume, or scope.

   the extent of his lands; to be right to a certain extent.

   Synonyms:

   length, reach, stretch, expanse, range, compass, amount, measure, magnitude

2. something extended, as a space; a particular length, area, or volume; something having extension.

   the limitless extent of the skies.

3. U.S. Law. a writ, or a levy, by which a debtor's lands are valued and transferred to the creditor, absolutely or for a term of years.

4. English Law.

   1. Also called writ of extent.  a writ to recover debts of a record due to the crown, under which land, property, etc., may be seized.

   2. a seizure made under such a writ.

5. Logic. extension.

6. Archaic. assessment or valuation, as of land.

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extent British  

/ ɪkˈstɛnt /

noun

1. the range over which something extends; scope

   the extent of the damage

2. an area or volume

   a vast extent of concrete

3. law a writ authorizing a person to whom a debt is due to assume temporary possession of his debtor's lands

4. logic another word for extension

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extent Idioms  

1. see to some degree (extent).

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Usage

What is extent? Extent is the length, area, volume, or scope something reaches to, as in The extent of Sheree’s knowledge of science fiction was very deep.Extent is a very common term that can refer to measurements, concepts, ideals, plans, and many other fields that measure anything, literal or figurative.Extent can also refer to something that has a lengthening, stretching out, or enlarging scope, especially when the boundaries aren’t known. You might hear someone talk about the limitless extent of space, for example.The phrase the extent of means that something has reached the extreme or the border of how far it can go, as in I can raise your allowance by $5, but that’s the extent of what I can do.Example: We know that the pan can get hot, but we are unsure to what extent.

Other Word Forms

• preextent noun

Etymology

Origin of extent

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English extente “assessment,” from Medieval Latin extenta, noun use of feminine of Latin extentus “stretched out,” past participle of extendere “to stretch out”; extend

Example Sentences

Investors may be considering economic weakness in China—and the extent to which the Chinese government will do something about it.

From Barron's

And to the extent that there are gains, they aren’t completely transforming the company.

From The Wall Street Journal

Focus will center on Federal Reserve minutes due Tuesday, where investors will watch for signals on the likely extent and timing of further interest-rate cuts in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal

"But how do you even begin to solve a problem if you don't have data on the extent and nature of urbanisation?" asks Mr Bisen.

From BBC

The Texans revealed the extent of the Chargers’ offensive line weaknesses.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amount
• breadth
• degree
• duration
• expansion
• intensity
• length
• matter
• measure
• quantity
• scope
• size
• term