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

The potential merger would broaden Estee Lauder’s fragrance portfolio, but analysts question the timing due to its recent growth slowdowns.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Still, the comparison may spook some people, and Pies said that the rally needs to broaden out in order to continue.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 19, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Craik added there would also be a day event for schools on Friday "to enrich the kids' preparation for A-levels, but also to broaden their knowledge and understanding more generally of humanities subjects".

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Mr Lewis's smile seemed to broaden slightly as he said this.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

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