To estimate or conclude something by extending known information or data beyond its original scope. To infer unknown values from known data points or extend a pattern into unfamiliar territory.
A modern scientific term (1870s) formed from Latin extra- (beyond) and interpolate (to insert between). Scientists needed a word for going beyond known data points, the opposite of interpolating within them. It's like mathematical fortune-telling based on trends.
Think 'extra-polate' as going the extra distance beyond your known data! If interpolation fills in gaps between known points, extrapolation leaps beyond them entirely. It's like predicting the weather beyond tomorrow based on today's patterns.
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