broaden

American  

[brawd-n] / ˈbrɔd n /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to become or make broad.

   Synonyms:

   sophisticate, educate, inform, enlighten, widen, enlarge, expand, extend

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broaden British  

/ ˈbrɔːdən /

verb

1. to make or become broad or broader; widen

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Other Word Forms

• overbroaden verb
• rebroaden verb
• unbroadened adjective

Etymology

Origin of broaden

First recorded in 1720–30; broad + -en ¹

Explanation

To broaden something is to make it wider or more expansive. If you wake up feeling less than cheerful, the sight of the doughnuts your dad got for breakfast might broaden your smile. Something can broaden literally, like a river that broadens as you hike beside it, growing wider as it flows south. Things also broaden figuratively, the way people's minds tend to broaden when they travel around the world and meet people from different cultures. In both cases, things that broaden expand and become more open.

Example Sentences

"We now know that we need to broaden our view when looking for early sponges."

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Deutsche Bank said earnings growth would broaden out across sectors, with 10 of 11 in positive territory, led by megacap growth and tech.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Taken together, these factors “have the potential to meaningfully broaden adoption,” analysts wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Being bilingual can make you more tolerant and compassionate and broaden your perspective.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I did extra work to broaden my understanding of how constitutional theory shapes criminal procedure.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• augment
• develop
• enlarge
• expand
• increase
• open up
• widen