Extensiive

Extensiive is a coined adjective used to describe an approach or attribute that emphasizes broad extension or coverage across multiple domains rather than deep focus in a single area. The term is not widely recognized in standard English dictionaries, and its precise meaning varies by author; in many uses it signals an intention to address a wide range of factors, stakeholders, or data points.

Etymology and attestation: Extensiive appears to be a neologism formed as a blend of extension and extensive, with the suffix -ive common to adjectives. Because it is not established in major reference works, there is no definitive origin or first use date; sightings occur mainly in specialized or online writings and in speculative or experimental contexts.

Usage: In information design, systems thinking, and some branches of policy analysis, extensiive methods prioritize mapping cross-cutting relationships and ensuring coverage across interfaces and time horizons, rather than drilling down into a single subsystem. In practice, an extensiive study would aim to produce a holistic picture that spans multiple sectors or domains.

Relation and reception: The term is often compared with and sometimes confused with extensive, extension, or comprehensiveness. Critics argue that extensiive can be vague or overly suggestive of breadth without clear criteria for measuring scope. For this reason, it remains a niche or provisional term used mainly in particular communities.

See also: extensive, extension, comprehensiveness, breadth, systems thinking.