What does "extensive" mean?
Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.
Extensive
/ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/ adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.
- Grammar: extensive is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: broad, extended, wide, a mile long.
- Useful contrasts: sequacious, brief, incomplete.
- Usage evidence: Those selected will have to face extensive medical and psychological tests.
How to use "extensive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "extensive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "extensive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "extensive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "extensive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "extensive" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "broad" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "extensive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Having a great extent; covering a large area; vast.
"In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valour."
- 2 Considerable in amount. figuratively
"I have done extensive research on the subject."
- 3 Serving to extend or lengthen; characterized by extension.
"For station is properly no rest, but one kind of motion, relating unto that which physicians (from Galen) do name extensive or tonical; that is, an extension of the muscles and organs of motion, maintaining the body at length, or in its proper figure."
- 4 Having a combined system entropy that equals the sum of the entropies of the independent systems.
"According to Tsallis (1988), the entropy was extensive for T = 1, superextensive for t < 1 and subextensive for t > 1."
Adjective
- 1 broad in scope or content wordnet
- 2 large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity wordnet
- 3 of agriculture; increasing productivity by using large areas with minimal outlay and labor wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Those selected will have to face extensive medical and psychological tests."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "extensive"?
Common synonyms include: broad, extended, wide, a mile long, a wide range, across-the-board.
How do you use "extensive" in a sentence?
Those selected will have to face extensive medical and psychological tests.
How do you pronounce "extensive"?
Pronounced /ɪkˈstɛn.sɪv/.
Etymology
From late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin extensīvus, from Latin extensus.