extent
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ɪkˈstent/
/ɪkˈstent/
[countable, usually singular, uncountable]Idioms - how large, important, serious, etc. something is
- It is difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.
- She was exaggerating the true extent of the problem.
- They have launched an investigation to determine the extent of police misconduct in this case.
- We don't know the extent of his injuries at this point.
- I was amazed at the extent of his knowledge.
Extra Examples- The government sought to play down the extent of the problem.
- The operation revealed the extent of the cancer.
- The overall extent of civilian casualties remained unclear.
- We do not yet know the extent of her injuries.
- a lengthy agenda outlining the extent of global environmental problems
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- full
- greatest
- maximum
- …
- reach
- see
- consider
- …
- in extent
- to an extent
- to a…extent
- …
- at something’s greatest extent
- to a considerable extent
- to a great extent
- …
- the physical size of an area
- You can't see the full extent of the beach from here.
- in extent The island is 300 square kilometres in extent.
Extra Examples- At its greatest extent the empire comprised most of western France.
- a statement defining the extent of Latvia's territory
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- full
- greatest
- maximum
- …
- reach
- see
- consider
- …
- in extent
- to an extent
- to a…extent
- …
- at something’s greatest extent
- to a considerable extent
- to a great extent
- …
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘valuation of property, especially for taxation’): from Anglo-Norman French extente, from medieval Latin extenta, feminine past participle of Latin extendere ‘stretch out’, from ex- ‘out’ + tendere ‘stretch’.
Idioms
to… extent
- used to show how far something is true or how great an effect it has
- To a certain extent, we are all responsible for this tragic situation.
- He had changed to such an extent (= so much) that I no longer recognized him.
- To some extent what she argues is true.
- The pollution of the forest has seriously affected plant life and, to a lesser extent, wildlife.
- To what extent is this true of all schools?
- The book discusses the extent to which (= how much) family life has changed over the past 50 years.
Language Bank generallygenerallyWays of saying ‘in general’- Women generally earn less than men.
- Generally speaking, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than those traditionally done by men.
- In general/By and large, women do not earn as much as men.
- Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly carried out by women.
- Senior management posts are predominantly held by men.
- Most senior management posts tend to be held by men.
- Women are, for the most part, still paid less than men.
- Economic and social factors are, to a large extent, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs.
Extra Examples- He had withdrawn from the company of his friends to an alarming extent.
- I will answer your questions about this case to the extent possible.
- People no longer live in small communities to the same extent as they used to.
- The victory underlined the extent to which Prussia had become a major power.
- To an extent East-West distrust continued throughout the war.