Relating to or involving the process of extending known patterns or data to estimate unknown values or future trends.
From 'extrapolate' + suffix '-ive' (showing tendency or quality). A mathematical/scientific adjective formed in the 19th century.
An 'extrapolative approach' to predicting pandemics sounds scientific, but it can be dangerously wrong if real-world changes—like vaccines or behavior shifts—violate the original pattern the extrapolation assumed.
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