extensive

/ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/

Say it: ik-STEN-siv

1. adjective Covering a large physical area; great in size or scope.
The wildfire caused extensive damage to the national park.
2. adjective Large in amount, number, or degree; comprehensive or far-reaching.
The candidate has extensive experience in foreign policy.

📖 Seen in the wild

The library has an extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ extensive in a sentence

The museum holds an extensive collection of 19th-century art.
After extensive negotiations, the two companies finally reached an agreement.
She conducted extensive research for her doctoral thesis.
The new law has extensive implications for the tech industry.
We had an extensive conversation about our plans for the future.
The storm caused extensive power outages across three states.
His knowledge of military history is extensive.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

widespread comprehensive broad vast thorough substantial large-scale far-reaching

widespread · often implies broad geographical or social distribution.

comprehensive · suggests thoroughness and inclusion of all elements.

broad · implies a wide range or scope, sometimes with less depth.

vast · emphasizes immense, almost overwhelming, size or scale.

Opposites: limited, narrow, restricted, minimal, superficial

🌱 Where it comes from

The word extensive traces back to the Latin verb 'extendere', meaning 'to stretch out'. This origin is still clearly visible in its meaning, as something extensive is 'stretched out' over a large area, amount, or range of detail.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

extensive damageextensive researchextensive knowledgeextensive experiencean extensive networkextensive collection

Extensive is a versatile word that adds a sense of scale and thoroughness. While neutral, it can sound more formal than synonyms like 'big' or 'a lot of'. A common point of confusion is with 'intensive'. Remember that extensive refers to breadth or scope (how wide), while intensive refers to depth or concentration (how deep). For example, you do extensive research by reading many sources, but you do an intensive analysis by focusing deeply on one.

Word family: extend, extension, extensively, extent

💬 Quick answers

What does extensive mean?

Extensive means covering a large area, or being large in amount, scope, or detail. It can refer to physical space, like an extensive forest, or to abstract things, like extensive knowledge.

What is the difference between extensive and comprehensive?

Extensive emphasizes large size or wide scope, while comprehensive emphasizes completeness and the inclusion of all necessary parts. A long report might be extensive, but if it misses key data, it isn't comprehensive.

What is the difference between extensive and intensive?

These are often confused. Extensive refers to wide coverage or scope (e.g., extensive reading on many subjects), while intensive refers to focused concentration or depth (e.g., an intensive study of one subject).

Is extensive a formal word?

Extensive is a neutral word that fits well in both formal and informal situations. It is common in professional, academic, and written contexts but is also used in everyday conversation.

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