Extent Meaning
/ɪkˈstɛnt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA range of values or locations.
nounThe space, area, volume, point, or abstract location, to which something extends.
Sentence Examples
I accept what you say to some extent.
We often fail to realize the extent to which we depend on others.
It is difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The full ____ of the damage from the storm became visible after sunrise.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the problem was not fully understood until a thorough investigation was done.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English extente, from Anglo-Norman extente and Old French estente (“valuation of land, stretch of land”), from estendre, extendre (“extend”) (or from Latin extentus), from Latin extendere (See extend.)
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But when they came where that dead Dragon lay, / Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent"
— 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
"The surface of the Balaton and the surrounding marshes is not less than 24 German square miles, or 384 English square miles; its principal feeder is the Szala, but all the water it receives appears inconsiderable relatively to its superficial extent, and the quantity lost in evaporation."
— 1827, Conrad Malte-Brun, Universal Geography, or A Description of All the Parts of the World, on a New Plan, Edinburgh: Adam Black, volume 6, book 101, 285:
"[S]he [Edwina, mother of Tennessee Williams] was indeed Amanda [Wingfield, character in Williams' play The Glass Menagerie] in the flesh: a doughty chatterbox from Ohio who adopted the manner of a Southern belle and eschewed both drink and sex to the greatest extent possible."
— 2014 November 14, Blake Bailey, “'Tennessee Williams,' by John Lahr [print version: Theatrical victory of art over life, International New York Times, 18 November 2014, p. 13]”, in The New York Times:
"Each extent contains one or more contiguous clusters. The file system describes each extent with two numbers: the number of the first cluster in the extent, and the number of clusters in the extent."
— 2019, Richard E. Smith, Elementary Information Security, page 205:
"Well, push him out of doors;
And let my officers of such a nature
Make an extent upon his house and lands.
Do this expediently, and turn him going."
— c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], lines 1117-20:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The full ____ of the damage from the storm became visible after sunrise.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the problem was not fully understood until a thorough investigation was done.