extent
Americannoun
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extents
plural
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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.
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something extended, as a space; a particular length, area, or volume; something having extension.
the limitless extent of the skies.
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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.
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English Law.
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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.
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a seizure made under such a writ.
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Logic. extension.
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Archaic. assessment or valuation, as of land.
noun
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the range over which something extends; scope
the extent of the damage
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an area or volume
a vast extent of concrete
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law a writ authorizing a person to whom a debt is due to assume temporary possession of his debtor's lands
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logic another word for extension
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see extend
Explanation
The extent is the area something covers. That could be physical space or something like being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Use the word extent when you are discussing how far something extends — how far it reaches. If you're an expert, the extent of your knowledge is wide. If you own a lot of property, the extent of your land is huge. The full extent of something is like the limit — that's the end of it. If you've reached the extent of your patience, you're out of patience. If an earthquake destroyed your house, the extent of the damage was severe.
Vocabulary lists containing extent
Commonly Confused Words, List 5
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James Monroe's First Inaugural Address (1817)
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Words from the First 2020 Presidential Debate
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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.
See Examples For:
But to the extent Kim responds to other leaders’ signals, Trump’s comment may move him to accelerate the expansion of Pyongyang’s arsenal.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
"We are picking up now probably 10 to 20 a week in specialist attracting traps, which is to be expected due to the extent of it."
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The RBA has permitted this to some extent, saying that it also wanted to focus on retaining as many jobs as it could through the inflation surge that followed the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
"Iran will cooperate only to the extent that circumstances and safety permit," he told reporters after the board's vote.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
It’s possible that since Bobby was influenced by Nietzsche to some extent, he was following this course to the extreme.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
All three regions subsidize EV purchases to varying extents.
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
"It is indicating that the Antarctic has moved into a new regime of lower ice extents."
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025
The researchers identified 10 other major crops affected to lesser but significant extents, including sorghum, soybeans, potatoes, millet and yams.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2023
Their geographic extents and how long they lasted were similar.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
Large extents of forest including those of Rouvray, Bonde and Elbeuf, spread themselves over the high ground to the west.
From Normandy, Illustrated, Part 1 by Gordon Home
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.
