From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishextentex‧tent /ɪkˈstent/ ●●● S2 W1 noun 1 → to ... extent2 [uncountable]SIZE how large, important, or serious something is, especially something such as a problem or injuryextent of Considering the extent of his injuries, he’s lucky to be alive. It’s too early to assess the full extent of the damage.3 [uncountable]SIZE the length or size of something They opened out the nets to their full extent.in extent The region is over 10,000 square kilometres in extent.► see thesaurus at sizeCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: phrasesto some extent/to a certain extent (=partly)What you say is true to some extent, but it’s not the whole picture.to a large/great extent (=a large amount)The materials we use will depend to a large extent on what is available.to a small extent (=a small amount)The plan succeeded to a small extent.to a greater extent (=more)Children suffer the effects of poor diet to a greater extent than adults.to a lesser extent (also to less extent) (=less)The same is true for women, though to a lesser extent.to a considerable/significant extent (=a considerable or significant amount)The affair affected his popularity to a considerable extent. to a limited extent (=not a very large amount)In the USA, and to a limited extent in Britain, the housing market is in recession.to such an extent that/to the extent that (=so much that)He annoyed her to such an extent that she had to leave the room.to the same extent (=to the same amount)The roads were congested but not to the same extent as in London.to what extent? (=how much?)To what extent does cutting down trees contribute to climate change?the extent to which (=how much)The report focused on the use of speed cameras, particularly the extent to which they reduced accidents. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: how large, important, or serious something is, especially something such as a problem or injuryadjectivesthe full extentHe refused to reveal the full extent of his debts.the actual/true extentRescue workers still do not know the true extent of the disaster.verbsknow/realize the extent of somethingWe do not yet know the extent of the damage.understand the extent of somethingOther people didn’t seem to understand the extent of his disability.discover/find out the extent of somethingWe were shocked when we discovered the extent of the fraud.assess/establish/determine the extent of somethingWe are still trying to assess the extent of the problem.show/reveal the extent of somethingThese pictures show the extent of the devastation caused by the earthquake.A report published by the government has revealed the extent of air pollution in the area.
Examples from the Corpus
extent• Discontent had grown to such an extent that the government had to withdraw the new tax.• The principality measured about 16,500 kilometres in extent.• Complete disruption of lysosomes also occurs, but to a lesser extent resulting in less marked release of enzyme into the supernatant.• Government inspectors will assess the extent of the damage.• Considering the extent of his injuries, he's lucky to be alive.• Precision defines the extent to which a measurement technique can discriminate between differences in magnitude.• She stared at him without speaking, examining the extent of the damage.• To the extent that he focused on Indochina at all, he was ambivalent.• To the extent that these prudential rules vary the Right of Establishment tends to be inoperative.• So opacity can be equated with the extent to which the reader is required to be creative.• the extent of the palace grounds• The extent of the Red Creek ranch is enormous.• To what extent is it possible to align states and nations in the contemporary world?• To what extent is the pattern already preformed?• To what extent were politicians responsible for the high unemployment which Britain experienced between the wars?extent of• There is disagreement about the extent of American influence in Europe.full extent• Somehow news correspondents covering the administration, including me, never grasped the full extent of the guerrilla war within the administration.• But that is the full extent of the money listed from dinner participants.• And you must be aware of the full extent or limitations of whatever is offered to you.• But only now did she have confirmation of the full extent of her betrayal by Urquhart.• I do not have a chance to test the full extent of my charity.• This was the full extent of the investigation.• The clamour reached a crescendo last year when the full extent of the problems relating to the Solicitors Indemnity Fund emerged.• The full extent of its difficulties is not generally known.Origin extent (1500-1600) Anglo-French extente, from Latin extendere; → EXTEND 