extensional

adjective

ex·​ten·​sion·​al ik-ˈsten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce extensional (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or marked by extension
specifically : denotative
2
: concerned with objective reality
extensionality noun
extensionally adverb

Examples of extensional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This back-and-forth positioning done in hanging knees to elbow runners simultaneously becomes an extreme anti-rotational and anti-extensional challenge. Jeff Tomko, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2022 The team only found evidence of extensional features—both ancient and modern—which suggests that a short, violent birth could have given way to an early ocean. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 23 June 2020 If Pluto had a rapid, violent formation, the heat from the colliding rocks from which Pluto coalesced would have faded relatively quickly, leading the icy shell to grow rapidly, generating extensional features early in Pluto's history. Charles Q. Choi, Scientific American, 23 June 2020 This freezing would pause as heat from radioactivity became a major factor, and resume as radioactive elements broke down, slowly creating extensional structures over time. Charles Q. Choi, Scientific American, 23 June 2020 The researchers used thermal model simulations and photographic evidence of extensional faults taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, to come up with their findings. Fox News, 23 June 2020 In that scenario, the liquid ocean would slowly freeze over time, although not completely, and cause the extensional faults seen by New Horizons in Pluto's icy crust. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 June 2020 Continental rifting requires the existence of extensional forces great enough to break the lithosphere. Lucia Perez Diaz, CNN, 5 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extensional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of extensional was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near extensional

Cite this Entry

“Extensional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extensional. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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