extensive

[ ik-sten-siv ]

adjective

1. of great extent; wide, broad:

   an extensive area.

   Synonyms: vast, ample, spacious, large, extended

   Antonyms: confined, narrow, limited

2. covering or extending over a great area:

   extensive travels.

3. far-reaching; comprehensive; thorough:

   extensive knowledge.

   Antonyms: parochial, confined, narrow, limited

4. lengthy:

   an extensive journey.

5. great in amount, number, or degree:

   an extensive fortune; extensive political influence.

6. of or having extension:

   Space is extensive, time durational.

7. noting or pertaining to a system of agriculture involving the use or cultivation of large areas of land with a minimum of labor and expense ( intensive ).

extensive

/ ɪkˈstɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. having a large extent, area, scope, degree, etc; vast

   an extensive inheritance

   extensive deserts

2. widespread

   extensive coverage in the press

3. agriculture involving or farmed with minimum expenditure of capital or labour, esp depending on a large area of land Compare intensive
4. physics of or relating to a property, measurement, etc, of a macroscopic system that is proportional to the size of the system Compare intensive

   heat is an extensive property

5. logic
   1. of or relating to logical extension
   2. (of a definition) in terms of the objects to which the term applies rather than its meaning

Derived Forms

• exˈtensively, adverb
• exˈtensiveness, noun

Other Words From

• ex·ten·sive·ly adverb
• ex·ten·sive·ness ex·ten·siv·i·ty [ek-sten-, siv, -i-tee, ik-], noun
• non·ex·ten·sive adjective
• non·ex·ten·sive·ness noun
• pre·ex·ten·sive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extensive¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin extēnsīvus, equivalent to Latin extēns(us) (past participle of extendere “to stretch out”) + -īvus adjective suffix; extend, -ive

Example Sentences

Interestingly, about half of these adaptive signals were detectable only in the oldest time periods, meaning they later vanished due to genetic drift or were masked by extensive population mixing.

From Science Daily

Sometimes, the damages become so extensive that they impact the function of forest ecosystems, not least the ability of forests to provide wood and other tree products.

From Science Daily

Researchers conducted extensive tests to validate the patch's safety and accuracy.

From Science Daily

Though some of its lenses are used in healthcare and engineering, Beck’s website details extensive military and defence applications.

From BBC

After careful evaluation of the extensive data, the results are now available: they provide detailed information on changes in the morphology and structure of the material, but also on chemical processes during discharge.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• broad
• comprehensive
• considerable
• expanded
• huge
• large
• large-scale
• lengthy
• major
• pervasive
• protracted
• sweeping
• vast
• voluminous
• wide-ranging