breadth

[ bredth, bretth, breth ]
See synonyms for breadth on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the measure of the second largest dimension of a plane or solid figure; width.

  2. an extent or piece of something of definite or full width or as measured by its width: a breadth of cloth.

  1. freedom from narrowness or restraint; liberality: a person with great breadth of view.

  2. size in general; extent.

  3. Art. a broad or general effect due to subordination of details or nonessentials.

Origin of breadth

1
1515–25; earlier bredeth, equivalent to brede breadth (Middle English; Old English brǣdu, equivalent to brǣd-, mutated variant of brād broad +-u noun suffix) + -th1 akin to German Breite, Gothic braidei

Other words for breadth

Other words from breadth

  • breadthless, adjective

Words that may be confused with breadth

Words Nearby breadth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use breadth in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for breadth

breadth

/ (brɛdθ, brɛtθ) /


noun
  1. the linear extent or measurement of something from side to side; width

  2. a piece of fabric having a standard or definite width

  1. distance, extent, size, or dimension

  2. openness and lack of restriction, esp of viewpoint or interest; liberality

Origin of breadth

1
C16: from obsolete brēde (from Old English brǣdu, from brād broad) + -th 1; related to Gothic braidei, Old High German breitī

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012