Word
extrapolate
Phoneticsex·trap·o·late, stress on the second syllable
US/ɛkˈstɹæpəˌɫeɪt/
UK/ɛkstɹˈæpəlˌeɪt/
Definition
v. to use present facts or numbers to guess what will happen next or what is true in a wider group. You use it when you extend a pattern beyond what you can see.
v. to infer unknown values, trends, or conclusions by extending an observed pattern or data set beyond its original range.
Examples
“Scientists extrapolate future sales from last year's numbers.”
“The planners extrapolate city growth from the last census to decide where to build new schools.”
“From two warm winters, commentators extrapolate a lasting shift in climate, though statisticians warn that such a small sample cannot support broad conclusions about long-term trends.”
Examples
simple
“Scientists extrapolate future sales from last year's numbers.”
contextual
“The planners extrapolate city growth from the last census to decide where to build new schools.”
complex
“From two warm winters, commentators extrapolate a lasting shift in climate, though statisticians warn that such a small sample cannot support broad conclusions about long-term trends.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “extrapolate” in context.
Verb
01. attempt to extrapolate
“Researchers attempted to extrapolate future demand from current usage.”
verb + to + verb
02. extrapolate beyond
“Avoid extrapolating beyond what the data actually shows.”
verb + prep
03. extrapolate from
“Economists extrapolated future inflation from current price data.”
verb + prep
Adjective
04. cautiously extrapolate
“Analysts urged investors to cautiously extrapolate last quarter's growth.”
adv + verb
05. directly extrapolate
“We cannot directly extrapolate lab results to real-world conditions.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. extrapolate data
“The model extrapolates data from past decades to forecast climate change.”
verb + noun
07. extrapolate outcome
“Doctors cannot extrapolate outcomes from animal trials to humans.”
verb + noun
08. extrapolate result
“It is risky to extrapolate results from such a small sample.”
verb + noun
09. difficult to extrapolate from
“With so few cases, it is difficult to extrapolate from these findings.”
10. extrapolate beyond available evidence
“The report warns against extrapolating beyond the available evidence.”
11. extrapolate from limited data
“It is misleading to extrapolate from such limited data.”
12. extrapolate results to wider population
“Researchers extrapolated the results to the wider population with caution.”
Usage
Transitive; typically takes 'from' for the known data and 'to' for the projection.
Real-World Examples
“Seven points from six games would constitute comfortable survival if extrapolated over the season as a whole, but Opta’s expected points table, which has Bournemouth ninth and Sunderland 10th, has them 18th.” “The researchers stress that their study did not examine AI adoption, and that its results should not be directly extrapolated to AI.” “It’s a promising avenue, but it’s a deeply personalized form of therapy, and we must be careful extrapolating too much from this single case study alone, which was not a full clinical trial.” “By extrapolating from past trends, he posits that within twenty years, we will be able to produce the powerful computers we use today in sizes comparable to a blood cell.” Etymology
From extra- + (inter)polate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/extrapolate