breadth
Americannoun
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the measure of the second largest dimension of a plane or solid figure; width.
-
an extent or piece of something of definite or full width or as measured by its width.
a breadth of cloth.
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freedom from narrowness or restraint; liberality.
a person with great breadth of view.
- Synonyms:
- open-mindedness, impartiality, latitude
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size in general; extent.
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Art. a broad or general effect due to subordination of details or nonessentials.
noun
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the linear extent or measurement of something from side to side; width
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a piece of fabric having a standard or definite width
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distance, extent, size, or dimension
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openness and lack of restriction, esp of viewpoint or interest; liberality
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing breadth
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Mythology
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The Time Machine
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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.
In leaders, CEOs constantly tell us, they look for breadth and diversity of experience, adaptability; a company is already full of industry-specific knowledge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
He was struck by the breadth of talent in the Norway team.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
However, beneath the surface, the index has posted negative breadth for six straight trading sessions — meaning more S&P 500 stocks fell than rose, even as the index itself kept moving higher.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Though breadth has been lacking in recent weeks, smaller stocks have been a punching above their weight.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
While One Hundred Years of Solitude swept me up in its magic and its images, its intricacies and its breadth, Jane Eyre made my heart swell.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
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.
