Extent Means How Far Something Is Stretched
Extent is the range or scale of something. The Latin root means to stretch out, which is the same one behind tent and tension.
Extent is the range, scale or degree of something. Latin *tendere*, to stretch, is behind an unusually large family: *extend*, *tension*, *intense*, *pretend*, *attention* and *tent* — a tent being a stretched cloth. To ask the extent of something is to ask how far it has been stretched.
- Range or scale. *The full extent.*
- Degree. *To some extent.*
- Physical size. *The extent of the site.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | extent | Its full extent. |
| Plural | extents | Varying extents. |
| Verb | extend | Extend the deadline. |
| Adjective | extensive | Extensive damage. |
| Related | tension | Under tension. |
How it is used in a sentence
- To a large extent, yes.Degree.
- The extent of the damage is unclear.Scale.
- Tent and tension share a root.Both involve stretching.
Words from *tendere*, to stretch
- Extend — to stretch out
- Tension — the state of being stretched
- Intense — stretched tight
- Attention — a stretching of the mind towards
- Pretend — to stretch something in front, as a claim
From Anglo-French *extente*, from Latin *extendere*, to stretch out, from *ex* and *tendere*, to stretch.
Extent or extend?
Extent is the noun, extend the verb. The extent of a delay is how far it extends.
Is a tent related?
Yes. A tent is stretched cloth, from the same Latin verb meaning to stretch.