broad

[ brawd ]

/ brɔd /

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adjective, broad·er, broad·est.

of great breadth: The river was too broad to swim across.

measured from side to side: The desk was three feet broad.

of great extent; large: the broad expanse of ocean.

wide-open; full: We awoke to broad daylight.

not limited or narrow; of extensive range or scope: A modern doctor must have a broad knowledge of medicine.

liberal; tolerant: A broad interpretation of the law tempers justice with mercy.

main or general: the broad outlines of a subject.

plain or clear: Her remark was a broad hint of her feelings.

outspoken; plain-spoken.

indelicate; indecent: He smirked at the broad joke.

(of conversation) rough; countrified.

unconfined; unbridled; unrestrained; It was a hilarious evening of broad mirth.

(of pronunciation) strongly dialectal: He wore kilts and had a broad Scots accent.

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

broad a, the a-sound

[ah] /ɑ/ when used in lieu of the more common a-sound

[a] /æ/ in such words as half, can't, and laugh.

adverb

fully: He was broad awake.

noun

the broad part of anything.

Slang.

Usually Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman.
a promiscuous woman.

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

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

OTHER WORDS FOR broad

3 extensive, ample, vast.

5 extensive, wide, open.

10 gross.

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OPPOSITES FOR broad

1 narrow.

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about broad

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

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

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

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

synonym study for broad

1. See wide.

usage note for broad

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

OTHER WORDS FROM broad

broad·ish, adjectivebroad·ly, adverbo·ver·broad, adjective

Other definitions for broad (2 of 2)

Broad

[ brawd ]

/ brɔd /

noun

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use broad in a sentence

It's the broadest hint yet that Prince George may soon have a baby sibling.
William's New Baby Hint|Tom Sykes|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It brings together the largest and broadest exhibition of contemporary Arab photographic art yet seen in the United States.
Fotofest Brings Unprecedented Collection of Arab Photographic Art to U.S.|Yael Friedman|November 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That indeed would soon metamorphose into the strongest and broadest economic expansion since World War II.
The Twilight Vindication of George H.W. Bush|Mark K. Updegrove|October 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The GDP report profits the broadest barometer of economic performance.
The Misuse and Meaning of GDP|Robert Shapiro|April 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In the broadest sense of the term, we didn't build anything.
What Can We Do About America's Baby Bust?|Justin Green|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is the broadest street in London and was opened by wholesale condemnation of private property.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
King Harald took his ships up Limfjord, and over against where it is broadest it is called Lusbreid.
The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason and of Harald The Tyrant (Harald Haardraade)|Snorri Sturluson
This diameter, of course, without the paddles, was two feet less than the broadest part of the deck of his bark.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
Swarms of children everywhere, romping and laughing and showing their white teeth in broadest of grins.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various
Of all the definitions enumerated, we must give to the word learning the broadest signification.
Thoughts on Educational Topics and Institutions|George S. Boutwell

British Dictionary definitions for broad (1 of 2)

broad

/ (brɔːd) /

adjective

having relatively great breadth or width

of vast extent; spaciousa broad plain

(postpositive) from one side to the otherfour miles broad

of great scope or potentialthat invention had broad applications

not detailed; generalbroad plans

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

obvious or plainbroad hints

liberal; toleranta broad political stance

widely spread; extensivebroad support

outspoken or bolda broad manner

vulgar; coarse; indecenta broad joke

unrestrained; freebroad laughter

(of a dialect or pronunciation) consisting of a large number of speech sounds characteristic of a particular geographical areaa broad Yorkshire accent

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 certificatesbroad money Compare narrow (def. 7)

phonetics

of or relating to a type of pronunciation transcription in which symbols correspond approximately to phonemes without taking account of allophonic variations
broad a the long vowel in English words such as father, half, as represented in the received pronunciation of Southern British English

as broad as it is long amounting to the same thing; without advantage either way

noun

the broad part of something

slang, mainly US and Canadian

a girl or woman
a prostitute

British dialect a river spreading over a lowlandSee also Broads

East Anglian dialect a shallow lake

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

adverb

widely or fullybroad awake

Derived forms of broad

broadly, adverbbroadness, noun

Word Origin for broad

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

British Dictionary definitions for broad (2 of 2)

B-road

noun

(in Britain) a secondary road

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with broad

broad

In addition to the idioms beginning with broad

broad daylight
broad in the beam
broad shoulders, have

also see:

can't hit the broad side of a barn

broad

OTHER WORDS FOR broad

OPPOSITES FOR broad

Idioms about broad

Origin of broad

synonym study for broad

usage note for broad

OTHER WORDS FROM broad

Other definitions for broad (2 of 2)

Words related to broad

How to use broad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for broad (1 of 2)

Derived forms of broad

Word Origin for broad

British Dictionary definitions for broad (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with broad