extent

Universal Words noun [sing.,U] 1 how large, important, serious, etc. sth is: It is difficult to assess the full extent of the damage. * She was exaggerating the true extent of the problem. * I was amazed at the extent of his knowledge. 2 the physical size of an area: You can't see the full extent of the beach from here. IDIOMS to...extent used to show how far sth is true or how great an effect it has: To a certain extent, we are all responsible for this tragic situation. * He had changed to such an extent (= so much) that I no longer recognized him. * To some extent what she argues is true. * The pollution of the forest has seriously affected plant life and, to a lesser extent, wildlife. * To what extent is this true of all schools? * The book discusses the extent to which (= how much) family life has changed over the past 50 years.