overextension
English
Etymology
over- + extension
Noun
overextension (countable and uncountable, plural overextensions)
- The state or quality of being overextended.
- 2009 February 13, David Brooks, “The Worst-Case Scenario”, in New York Times:
- Other nations sensed American overextension.
-
- (linguistics) Application of a term to too many referents, as for example when a child uses cat to refer to all animals.
Coordinate terms
- underextension