broad

¹

[brawd]

adjective

broader, broadest 

1. of great breadth.

   The river was too broad to swim across.

   Antonyms: narrow

2. measured from side to side.

   The desk was three feet broad.

3. of great extent; large.

   the broad expanse of ocean.

   Synonyms: vast, ample, extensive

4. wide-open; full.

   We awoke to broad daylight.

5. not limited or narrow; of extensive range or scope.

   A modern doctor must have a broad knowledge of medicine.

   Synonyms: open, wide, extensive

6. liberal; tolerant.

   A broad interpretation of the law tempers justice with mercy.

7. main or general.

   the broad outlines of a subject.

8. plain or clear.

   Her remark was a broad hint of her feelings.

9. outspoken; plain-spoken.

10. indelicate; indecent.

    He smirked at the broad joke.

    Synonyms: gross

11. (of conversation) rough; countrified.

12. unconfined; unbridled; unrestrained;

    It was a hilarious evening of broad mirth.

13. (of pronunciation) strongly dialectal.

    He wore kilts and had a broad Scots accent.

14. Phonetics.,  (of a transcription) using one basic symbol to represent each phoneme.

15. broad a, the a- sound when used in lieu of the more common a- sound in such words as half, can't, and laugh.

adverb

1. fully.

   He was broad awake.

noun

1. the broad part of anything.

2. Slang.

   1. Usually Offensive.,  a term used to refer to a woman.

   2. a promiscuous woman.

3. Movies, Television.,  Often broads. an incandescent or fluorescent lamp used as a general source of light in a studio.

4. a gold coin of England and Scotland, issued by James I and Charles I and equal to 20 shillings.

Broad

²

[brawd]

noun

1. C(harlie) D(unbar), 1887–1971, English philosopher.

broad

/ brɔːd /

adjective

1. having relatively great breadth or width

2. of vast extent; spacious

   a broad plain

3. (postpositive) from one side to the other

   four miles broad

4. of great scope or potential

   that invention had broad applications

5. not detailed; general

   broad plans

6. clear and open; full (esp in the phrase broad daylight )

7. obvious or plain

   broad hints

8. liberal; tolerant

   a broad political stance

9. widely spread; extensive

   broad support

10. outspoken or bold

    a broad manner

11. vulgar; coarse; indecent

    a broad joke

12. unrestrained; free

    broad laughter

13. (of a dialect or pronunciation) consisting of a large number of speech sounds characteristic of a particular geographical area

    a broad Yorkshire accent

14. finance denoting an assessment of liquidity as including notes and coin in circulation with the public, banks' till money and balances, most private-sector bank deposits, and sterling bank-deposit certificates Compare narrow

    broad money

15. phonetics

    1. of or relating to a type of pronunciation transcription in which symbols correspond approximately to phonemes without taking account of allophonic variations

    2. the long vowel in English words such as father , half , as represented in the received pronunciation of Southern British English

16. amounting to the same thing; without advantage either way

noun

1. the broad part of something

2. slang

   1. a girl or woman

   2. a prostitute

3. dialect,  a river spreading over a lowland See also Broads

4. dialect,  a shallow lake

5. a wood-turning tool used for shaping the insides and bottoms of cylinders

adverb

1. widely or fully

   broad awake

Sensitive Note

When used to refer to a woman, broad is usually perceived as insulting. The meaning “promiscuous woman” is probably the earlier sense.

Other Word Forms

• broadly adverb
• broadness noun
• broadish adjective
• overbroad adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of broad¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bro(a)d, Old English brād; cognate with Dutch breed, German breit, Old Norse breithr, Gothic braiths

Word History and Origins

Origin of broad¹

Old English brād ; related to Old Norse breithr , Old Frisian brēd , Old High German breit , Gothic braiths

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. broad on the quarter, bearing 135° to the heading of a vessel.

2. broad on the bow, bearing 45° to the heading of a vessel.

3. broad on the beam, bearing 90° to the heading of a vessel.

More idioms and phrases containing broad

• can't hit the broad side of a barn

Synonym Study

See wide.

Related Words

• comprehensive 
• expansive 
• extensive 
• far-reaching 
• sweeping 
• universal 
• wide 
• wide-ranging