broaden
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has broadenedperfect 3rd person singular
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have broadenedperfect
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am broadeningprogressive 1st person singular
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has been broadeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are broadeningprogressive
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have been broadeningperfect progressive
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is broadeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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broadeningparticiple
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broadenssingular 3rd person
Past
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had broadenedperfect
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was broadeningprogressive singular
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were broadeningprogressive plural
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had been broadeningperfect progressive
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broadenedparticiple
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broadenedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of broaden
Explanation
To broaden something is to make it wider or more expansive. If you wake up feeling less than cheerful, the sight of the doughnuts your dad got for breakfast might broaden your smile. Something can broaden literally, like a river that broadens as you hike beside it, growing wider as it flows south. Things also broaden figuratively, the way people's minds tend to broaden when they travel around the world and meet people from different cultures. In both cases, things that broaden expand and become more open.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Regulatory clarity from government involvement can establish durable rules, reduce tail risks, and broaden public acceptance of AI.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
The company launched an AI tool for businesses on its WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger services, part of a push to broaden beyond its consumer business as it spends aggressively on AI.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Because it does not broaden enough, it is blocked by the filters and removed from the cycle.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
A truly improving labor market would see hiring broaden out to other industries.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
It will broaden his experience in some ways, but it will also curtail his contact with clients.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
