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 economists said the relatively narrow breadth of U.S. price pressures supports their view that global inflation remains largely supply-driven.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

As a result, breadth oscillators remain on sell signals.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The unresolved trade issues between the two sides, a list that is almost comical in both its breadth and specificity, suggests why Ford has so much pull.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

I think the scope of television has changed wildly in 20 years and the length and breadth of the variety there is kind of remarkable at times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

It became clear quickly enough that though I was unequal to Danny in breadth, I was easily equal to him in depth, and this seemed to please Reb Saunders enormously.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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

At greater distances they became much more sensible, but kept very nearly the same proportion of their breadths and intervals which they had at their first appearing.

From Opticks or, a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections, and Colours of Light by Sir Isaac Newton

Seaming.—A narrow openwork insertion, gimp or braiding, with parallel sides, used for joining two breadths of linen, instead of sewing them directly the one to the other.

From Lace, Its Origin and History by Samuel L. Goldenberg

They are markedly smaller in every measurement taken, except zygomatic and mastoidal breadths, and extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals.

From The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah, Vol. 1 No. 1 Kansas University Publications. by Stephen D. Durrant

Related Words

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