Word Confusion: Extend versus Extent

Posted December 4, 2014 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
16 Nov 2022

This is one of those word confusions which makes me so grateful for the extent of my reading as it extends over the years of my life. The more you read, the more gets embedded within your brain whether you try or not. It’s not a bad way to learn. I’ve certainly had fun!

I do intend to extend my reading over a few more decades, so I expect to extend the extent of my breadth of knowledge. And as authors, y’all owe your readers to, ahem, read more yourselves . . . think of it as part of your job *grin* . . .

You may also want to explore “Extant versus Extent“.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Extend Extent

Right-pointing Hand in Gree Octagon by Hand: Gmaxwell. Octagon and combination: Anomie⚔.Anomie at en.wikipedia is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

It’s the “polite” finger extended in this sign.


Color contour map shows extent of hurrican winds

Extent of Hurricane Force Winds from Hurricane Ike by Hurricane Research Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Part of Grammar:
Verb 1, intransitive 2 & transitive

Third person present verb: extends
Past tense or past participle: extended
Present participle: extending

Noun

Plural: extents

Verb:
[Medicine] To straighten a limb 1

  • Bend

[Programming] To add features to a program, especially through the use of hooks

Verb, intransitive:
To be or become extended 1

  • Stretch out in length, duration, or in various or all directions

To reach, as to a particular point

To increase in length, area, scope, etc.

[Manège; of a horse] To come into an extended attitude

To reach a certain point in time or distance 2

Verb, transitive:
To stretch out 1

  • Draw out to the full length

To stretch, draw, or arrange in a given direction, or so as to reach a particular point, as a cord, wall, or line of troops

To stretch forth or hold out, as the arm or hand

To place at full length, especially horizontally, as the body or limbs

To increase the length or duration of; lengthen; prolong

To stretch out in various or all directions

  • Expand
  • Spread out in area

To enlarge the scope of, or make more comprehensive, as operations, influence, or meaning

To provide as an offer or grant

  • Offer
  • Grant
  • Give

[Finance] To postpone (the payment of a debt) beyond the time originally agreed upon

To increase the bulk or volume of, especially by adding an inexpensive or plentiful substance

[Bookkeeping] To transfer figures from one column to another

[Law; British] To assess or value

[Law] To make a seizure or levy upon, as land, by a writ of extent

[Manège] To bring a horse into an extended attitude

To exert (oneself) to an unusual degree

[Archaic] To exaggerate

[Obsolete] To take by seizure

The space, degree, or range to which a thing extends

  • Length, area, volume, or scope

Something extended, as a space

  • A particular length, area, or volume
  • Something having extension

[U.S. law] A writ, or a levy, by which a debtor’s lands are valued and transferred to the creditor, absolutely or for a term of years

[English law] A.k.a., writ of extent

  • A writ to recover debts of a record due to the crown, under which land, property, etc., may be seized
  • A seizure made under such a writ

[Logic] Extension

[Archaic] Assessment or valuation, as of land

Examples:
Verb:
We’ll have to extend that leg before we can cast it up.

We need to extend the functionality of that program.

Verb, intransitive:
The play extended its run for several years.

They extended their occupation to two adjacent convents.

Mounting research shows that optimism could extend your life.

The land extends five miles past the old barn.

Verb, transitive:
He extended the measuring tape as far as it would go.

Extend that line of soldiers past the woods and halfway through that ravine.

We should extend our visit a few days.

A huge tent was extended over the field.

The European powers extended their authority in Asia.

Lord Engel still doesn’t know the extent of his lands.

One has to be right to a certain extent.

We’ll never know the extent of the damage.

It was a view with the limitless extent of the skies.

The constable delivered a writ of extent.

You can, to some extent, condition your plants and soil for cold weather.

The physical extent of land conversion for human activities is only part of the story, however.

They all knew who Freud was, but that was about the extent of their common knowledge.

Derivatives:
Adjective: extendable, extendible, nonextendible
Noun: extendability, extendibility, extending, nonextendibleness
Verb: preextend
Noun: preextent
History of the Word:
  1. Its first known use was 1250–1300.

    Middle English extenden from the Latin extendere meaning to stretch out.

  2. Late 13th century from the Anglo-French estendre, the Old French estendre meaning stretch out, extend, increase, from the Latin extendere stretch out, from ex- meaning out + tendere meaning to stretch.

    Early 14th century to value, assess.

    Late 14th century to stretch out, lengthen.

Its first known use was 1250–1300

Middle English extente meaning assessment is from the Medieval Latin extenta, a noun use of the feminine of the Latin extentus, past participle of extendere meaning to extend.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Extend versus Extent

Dictionary.com: extend, extent

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Aerial View of Vineyards at Markgräflerland is Taxiarchos228’s own work and under the GFDL or CC BY 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

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