- extreme
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I. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin extremus, superlative of exter, exterus being on the outside — more at exterior
Date: 15th century
1.
a. existing in a very high degree <extreme poverty> b. going to great or exaggerated lengths ; radical <went on an extreme diet> c. exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected <extreme weather conditions> 2. archaic last 3. situated at the farthest possible point from a center <the country's extreme north> 4. a. most advanced or thoroughgoing <the extreme political left> b. maximum 5. a. of, relating to, or being an outdoor activity or a form of a sport (as skiing) that involves an unusually high degree of physical risk <extreme mountain biking down steep slopes> b. involved in an extreme sport <an extreme snowboarder> Synonyms: see excessive • extremeness noun II. noun Date: 1555 1. a. something situated at or marking one end or the other of a range <extremes of heat and cold> b. the first term or the last term of a mathematical proportion c. the major term or minor term of a syllogism 2. a. a very pronounced or excessive degree b. highest degree ; maximum 3. an extreme measure or expedient <going to extremes>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.