extent

extent
ex‧tent S2 W1 /ɪkˈstent/ noun1. to ... extent used to say how true something is or how great an effect or change is
    to a certain extent/to some extent/to an extent (=partly)
    We all to some extent remember the good times and forget the bad.
    I do agree with him to an extent.
    to a great/large extent
    Its success will depend to a large extent on local attitudes.
    to a lesser/greater extent (=less or more)
    It will affect farmers in Spain and to a lesser extent in France.
    They examined the extent to which (=how much) age affected language-learning ability.
    To what extent (=how much) did she influence his decision?
    to such an extent that/to the extent that (=so much that)
    Violence increased to the extent that residents were afraid to leave their homes.
2. [uncountable] how large, important, or serious something is, especially something such as a problem or injury
    extent 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] 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.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ phrases
   ▪ to 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

(for Meaning 2)

■ adjectives
   ▪ the full extent He refused to reveal the full extent of his debts.
   ▪ the actual/true extent Rescue workers still do not know the true extent of the disaster.
■ verbs
   ▪ know/realize the extent of something We do not yet know the extent of the damage.
   ▪ understand the extent of something Other people didn’t seem to understand the extent of his disability.
   ▪ discover/find out the extent of something We were shocked when we discovered the extent of the fraud.
   ▪ assess/establish/determine the extent of something We are still trying to assess the extent of the problem.
   ▪ show/reveal the extent of something These 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.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ size noun [uncountable and countable] how big someone or something is: What size is that shirt? | The price will depend on the size and quality of the carpet. | Your desk is exactly the same size as mine. | Fire has destroyed an area of forest the size of Luxembourg. | The seeds are very small, about half the size of a grain of salt. | There were several pieces of wood of different sizes. | Cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size. | The black spots on her skin seemed to be slowly increasing in size. | The American states vary enormously in size, from very large to very small. | In a class this size, there will always be a few problems.
   ▪ dimensions noun [plural] the length, width, and height of an object, room, building etc: What are the dimensions of the table?
   ▪ measurements noun [plural] the length, width, or height of something, or of someone’s body: I need to check the measurements of the window. | your waist measurement is 31 inches | The nurse took my measurements.
   ▪ proportions noun [plural] the relative sizes of the different parts of an object, room, building etc: The proportions don’t look right to me. | You can sit in the Plaza and admire the proportions of the cathedral.
   ▪ area noun [uncountable and countable] the amount of space that a flat surface such as a floor or field covers: To measure the area of a room, you need to multiply the length by the width.
   ▪ extent noun [uncountable] the size of a large area: The extent of the ranch is enormous. | The island measured about 1,600 kilometres in extent.
   ▪ bulk noun [uncountable] the very large size of something: The statue’s massive bulk made it difficult to move. | his enormous bulk | The view was dominated by the huge bulk of the power station.
   ▪ capacity noun [singular] the amount that a container will hold: The capacity of the tank is around 500 gallons. | The computer’s memory has a capacity of over 200 megabytes. | All the storage units were filled to capacity.
   ▪ volume noun [singular] the amount of space that a substance fills, or that an object contains: The average domestic swimming pool has a volume of 45,000 litres. | This instrument measures the volume of air in your lungs. | Help me figure out the volume of this fish tank. | The shifting of continents has an impact on the volume of water the oceans can contain.