Entry Word: extent

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go <the coach exceeded the extent of his authority by exempting some of the players from the requirement> — see limit
2 a wide space or area <the seemingly endless extent of the windswept prairies> — see expanse
3 an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends <the extent of this criminal investigation has widened considerably since it began> — see range 2
4 the total amount of measurable space or surface occupied by something <looking at the extent of the stain on my shirt, you might think that I had spilled a gallon of coffee> — see ¹size