breadth

American  

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

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.

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

• breadthless adjective

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

Example Sentences

Still, the company was hurt by its lack of product breadth, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Namely, narrowing market breadth, defensive stocks taking the lead, and tightening credit.

From Barron's

Market breadth has been negative over these past few days as well.

From MarketWatch

After European and other regulators adopted U.S.‐style rules, those stock markets caught up with the U.S. in terms of breadth and depth.

From Barron's

The 1974 NBC adaptation is a classic, but as a family drama of its time, it did not attempt to capture the historical breadth the book series documented.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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