extent

[ik-stent]

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.

extent

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• preextent noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of extent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of extent¹

C14: from Old French extente, from Latin extentus extensive, from extendere to _extend

Idioms and Phrases

see to some degree (extent).

Example Sentences

Still, inflation remains well below its peak, and a debate continues over the extent to which tariffs will lead to a sustained rise in the pace of price hikes.

From BBC

The governor said last week that he already was working on a plan with the White House that would bring "the full extent of both federal and state resources" to bear in Memphis.

From BBC

In a statement, UC said it is “committed to protecting the privacy of our students, faculty, and staff to the greatest extent possible, while fulfilling its legal obligations.”

From Los Angeles Times

"A souring economy will become a drag on the popularity of the government, but it really depends to what extent it happens and to what extent Canadians see visible changes," said Mr Dallaire.

From BBC

Lord Mandelson was sacked earlier this week after a cache of emails between him and Epstein was published by Bloomberg, revealing the extent of their contacts and relationship.

From BBC

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.