Coextensive

Coextensive describes two or more things that have the same extent or scope; that is, they cover the same area, space, time, or subject matter. It implies a complete correspondence and equivalence in terms of boundaries or range. When things are coextensive, there is no overlap or gap in their coverage; one thing encompasses exactly what the other does. This term is often used in academic, philosophical, and legal contexts to express the precise alignment of different concepts or entities, and their mutual implication.

Coextensive meaning with examples

• The jurisdiction of the county and the boundaries of the local school district were coextensive, ensuring consistent governance within a defined geographical space. This precise overlap streamlined administrative processes and resource allocation for education within the county limits.
• In the philosophical debate, the terms 'knowledge' and 'justified true belief' were argued to be coextensive, meaning that having one inherently implied the other, thus making it an equivalence in their definition's requirements.
• The environmental impact assessment and the planned development project were considered coextensive because the assessment needed to consider the complete scope of activities to have accurate impact predictions.
• The legal definition of 'property' and the rights of an individual over a given asset were, in this case, coextensive. The rights conferred corresponded precisely to the scope of what was considered 'property'.
• The timeline for the research project and the duration of the grant funding were coextensive. Both began at the same time and ended together, ensuring that the funding perfectly covered the research duration.