breadth

American  

[bredth, bretth, breth] / brɛdθ, brɛtθ, brɛθ /

noun

• breadths
  plural

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.

3. freedom from narrowness or restraint; liberality.

   a person with great breadth of view.

   Synonyms:

   open-mindedness, impartiality, latitude

4. size in general; extent.

   Synonyms:

   compass, reach, range, scope, span

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

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breadth British  

/ brɛtθ, brɛdθ /

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

3. distance, extent, size, or dimension

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• breadthless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• breadths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of breadth

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

Explanation

If you measure the distance of an object from side to side, you are measuring the object’s breadth: “Theodore measured the breadth of the table before buying it to make sure it would fit in his small kitchen.” Breadth often refers to a physical measurement, but it can also be used to describe comprehensiveness or largeness of any kind, such as breadth of knowledge or breadth of experience. In the famous sentence describing Macedonian king Alexander the Great, the word breadth is used to indicate the vastness of Alexander’s empire: “When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breadth breadths

The breadth and depth of AstraZeneca’s drug pipeline means those fears seem misplaced and the U.K. company is unlikely to share Roche’s fate, the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

“On 30 years of monthly data, breadth at today’s level has typically been with a year-over-year gain of about 30%, leaving the group materially below where revisions would imply,” they said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

In fairness, Roberts did seem to recognize some problems with the breadth of the immunity that the oil companies were asking for, as did Justice Gorsuch.

From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026

Monét’s sense of rejuvenation is easy to feel across “Frequency of Love,” a sprawling and vibrant new album out Friday on which this seasoned multitasker showcases the breadth of her talent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

The bulk of the rampart holds her in its breadth.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

John B. Read’s lighting now makes less marvelous effects from the depths and breadths of the Met stage.

From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2014

Meg, who went shopping in the afternoon and got a ‘sweet blue muslin’, had discovered, after she had cut the breadths off, that it wouldn’t wash, which mishap made her slightly cross.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Two breadths of Turkish tapestry hung down over the doorway of the reception-room, thus obscuring its interior.

From An Ambitious Woman A Novel by Edgar Fawcett

I've searched all lengths and breadths but this.

From Pierre; or The Ambiguities by Herman Melville

She threw off the carpet slippers, and reached under the breadths of the silver gray skirt for her new shoes.

From The Tobacco Tiller A Tale of the Kentucky Tobacco Fields by Sarah Bell Hackley

Related Words

• comprehensiveness
• dimension
• fullness
• magnitude
• range
• scale
• scope
• size