Make Your Point: EXTANT

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pronounce EXTANT:

ECK stunt

connect this word to others:

When you want to describe something that's still around, still standing, or still intact—like a species that hasn't died out, a treasured item that hasn't been lost, or a historic building that hasn't crumbled—call it extant.

The word extant is closely related to constant. Etymologically speaking, something extant stands out, and something constant stands together.

You can pluck the word extant apart into "ex-," meaning "out," and "tant," from the Latin stare, meaning "to stand." So, extant things are outstanding: not in the sense that they're amazing, but that they're still standing.

That prefix, "ex-," is a little wily because it has so many meanings; we often assume it means "past, or former," as in ex-wife and ex-parrot.

(Source)

But "ex-" can also mean "out," "from," "upwards," and even "completely, extremely."

It happens to mean "out" in each of the words below. Can you recall them?

1. To exp__ge something is to wipe it out completely, as if you're scratching through it.

2. To exp___t people is to make use of them in a tricky way, as if you're unfolding them.

3. Literally "a way out," an ex___s is the act of many people leaving some place, usually to escape hardships.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Extant" has Latin bits that literally mean "to stand out." It traces back to the Latin extare, meaning "to be visible, to stand out, or to exist."

In English, something extant is still alive, still around, or still in existence.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "There are only three extant copies of that book;" "There are only three copies of that book extant."

Other forms:

None are commonly used today.

If you need a noun, you can pick between "extance" and "extancy." But I'd just go with "existence" instead.

If you need an opposite for "extant," you can pick between "inextant" (my preference) and "non-extant." But how about just "dead," "gone," "lost," or "extinct" instead?

how to use it:

"Extant" is a serious, academic word. It's a common one, but only in formal contexts.

Pick it when you want to quickly indicate that something is still alive, or still in someone's possession: that it hasn't gone extinct, gone missing, or been destroyed, especially over a long period of time.

Talk about extant species, books, photographs, videos, artifacts, documents, works of art, landmarks, or traditions. Or, say that something is still extant, or that it remains extant.

examples:

"Not a lot more is known about [the author I. J. Kay], though there is at least one photograph extant; it depicts a lean and David Bowie-ish figure smoking a cigarette in a coffee shop."
— Dwight Garner, New York Times, 10 July 2012

"Today, there are two extant copies [of Foxe's Book of Martyrs]: one in the British Library, the other in the Folger Shakespeare Library. "
— Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, 5 August 2019

has this page helped you understand "extant"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "extant" without saying "surviving" or "undestroyed."

try it out:

Writing about an art exhibit from the Fatimid dynasty (909 to 1171), Melik Kaylan noted:

"The extant accounts of the dynasty tend to depend on other sources, often hostile, and few artifacts survive to paint a complete picture of Fatimid life."

Talk about what he means. If all the extant representations of some inextant group were created by outsiders, how does that affect our understanding of the group?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is Botched Songs!

Check out the botched lyrics to a holiday song, and see if you can give me the botched title. It'll include a form of a word we've studied before.

For example, if the real song is "Jingle Bell Rock," then the botched one might be "Jingle Quell Rock." Or if the real song is "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas," then the botched one might be "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like a Chrysalis."

If you need some clues, highlight them to reveal them. And to see the answer, scroll all the way down. Your answer might be different than mine but just as good. Enjoy!

Try this one today:

Have yourself a _____ little Christmas.
Keep a watchful eye.
Look around for trouble lurking out of sight.
—from "Have Yourself a _____ Little Christmas"

Clue 1: The word in the blank means… cautious, watchful, and suspicious.

Clue 2: The word in the blank starts with the letter… C.

Clue 3: The word in the blank sounds like… a perfect rhyme for "merry."

review this word:

1. The precise opposites of EXTANT are INEXTANT and NON-EXTANT. However, some close opposites of EXTANT are

A. LOST and GONE.
B. BRIEF and QUICK.
C. FIRM and PERMANENT.

2. A writer for the New York Times noted that "when MTV started, there were so few music videos extant that the network _____."

A. scrambled for content
B. translated most into English
C. advised viewers to use their discretion

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
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  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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How to motivate our kids to write.
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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