extensive

UK: /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ US: /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ ,(ik sten′siv)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ex•ten•sive /ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/   adj. 

1. of great extent;
   wide;
   broad:
   The bomb destroyed an extensive area.

ex•ten•sive•ly, adv. See -tend-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ex•ten•sive  (ik sten′siv), adj. 

1. of great extent; wide;
   broad:
   an extensive area.
2. covering or extending over a great area:
   extensive travels.
3. far-reaching;
   comprehensive;
   thorough:
   extensive knowledge.
4. lengthy:
   an extensive journey.
5. great in amount, number, or degree:
   an extensive fortune; extensive political influence.
6. of or having extension:
   Space is extensive, time durational.
7. Agriculture noting or pertaining to a system of agriculture involving the use or cultivation of large areas of land with a minimum of labor and expense (opposed to intensive).

• Late Latin extēnsīvus, equivalent. to Latin extēns(us) (past participle of extendere to extend) + -īvus -ive
• late Middle English 1375–1425

ex•ten′sive•ly, adv. 
ex•ten′sive•ness, ex•ten•siv•i•ty  (ek′sten siv′i tē, ik-), n.  Synonyms

• 1. extended, large, spacious, ample, vast.

Antonyms

• 1, 3. limited, narrow, confined.
• 3. parochial.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

extensive / ɪkˈstɛnsɪv/ adjective

1. having a large extent, area, scope, degree, etc; vast
2. widespread
3. involving or farmed with minimum expenditure of capital or labour, esp depending on a large area of land
   Compare intensive3
4. of or relating to logical extension

exˈtensiveness noun