broad

¹ American  

[brawd] / brɔd /

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.

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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.

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.

Broad ² American  

[brawd] / brɔd /

noun

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

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broad British  

/ 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

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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

broad More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing broad

• can't hit the broad side of a barn

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Sensitive Note

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

Related Words

See wide.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of broad

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

Example Sentences

As we approached the broad face of the 1930s federal building that had served as Carville’s hospital, I tried to catch my father’s eye, but I couldn’t read his face.

From Salon

The project received support from the Australian Research Council and the US Air Force Office of Sponsored Research and aligns with Monash University's broader goal of advancing materials for a low-carbon energy future.

From Science Daily

Their findings, published in Nature Communications, show that the brain's structure progresses through five broad phases.

From Science Daily

However, the two companies emphasized that their partnership isn’t exclusive and that both companies will continue to work with the broader industry.

From Barron's

Unlike traditional passive ETFs, which track a market index like the S&P 500, these funds are curated by a manager who chooses a collection of securities and is aiming to outperform the broader market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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