# extend

/ɪkˈstɛnd/ (US) · /ɛkstˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/extend
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to make longer or larger

verb · CEFR B1

to make something bigger or longer in space.

For teachers: to increase the physical length, area, or scope of something.

- The family decided to extend their kitchen to make room for a larger dining table.
- The city council plans to extend the light rail system into the northern suburbs to alleviate morning traffic congestion.

### 2. to make last longer

verb · CEFR B1

to make something continue for a longer time.

For teachers: to prolong the duration of an event, deadline, or period of time.

- The teacher agreed to extend the deadline for the essay until Friday.
- The government decided to extend the tax incentive for another fiscal year to encourage further investment in renewable energy.

### 3. to reach or cover an area

verb · CEFR B2

to reach a certain point or cover a specific distance.

For teachers: to occupy a certain space or reach a specific physical limit.

- The forest extends for miles along the coast.
- The property line extends all the way to the river bank, though the fence stops several meters short of the water.

### 4. to offer or give

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to offer something to someone, like an invitation, thanks, or a hand.

For teachers: to formally offer or bestow a gesture, invitation, or sentiment.

- I would like to extend a warm welcome to our guest speaker today.
- The CEO extended an invitation to the junior analysts to join the strategy meeting, seeking a fresh perspective on the market trends.

### 5. to straighten a limb

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to straighten out your arm or leg.

For teachers: to straighten a joint or limb, increasing the angle between the bones.

- Extend your arms fully above your head while you breathe in.
- The physical therapist instructed the patient to slowly extend the knee until the leg was completely straight, monitoring for any signs of discomfort.

### 6. software inheritance

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to use an existing set of computer code to build a new, more specific one.

For teachers: to create a subclass that inherits the properties and methods of a parent class.

- In this program, the 'Car' class will extend the 'Vehicle' class.
- By choosing to extend the base controller, the developer was able to reuse the authentication logic without duplicating code across the application.

## Examples

- The school decided to extend the summer holidays by one week.
- The government plans to extend the new highway all the way to the northern border to improve trade.
- The board of directors voted to extend a formal invitation to the former CEO, hoping her expertise would help stabilize the company during the transition.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.