broadly
Americanadverb
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across a wide area.
Seismologists say the earthquake was broadly felt because the hard granite in the area of the epicenter strongly conducts ground motion.
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to a great extent; widely.
Which of these principles and values do you think are the most broadly shared by your neighbors?
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to a similar extent; generally.
Production is expected to be broadly in line with last year’s, setting us up for another record harvest.
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in a widely diffused or bright manner.
The curtains opened, revealing several characters milling about on a broadly lit stage.
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in a way that is not limited, narrow, or overly specific.
Network-connected computers are broadly categorized as either servers or workstations.
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in a plain, clear, or bold manner.
She knew immediately that the broadly scrawled handwriting on the note was her brother’s.
Most of the people in these photographs are grinning broadly and looking directly into the camera.
Etymology
Origin of broadly
Explanation
The adverb broadly is useful for describing something that's done in a general or approximate way. If you're broadly describing your new job, you're giving just the basic idea of it and leaving out the details. You're likely to see the word broadly within the phrase "broadly speaking." People often say this to mean "in general" or "on average." The word can also be used in a more literal way to mean "widely," as when you say, "The teacher seemed a little scary until she smiled broadly and welcomed them to class."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Early in the campaign, she said, El-Sayed tended to speak broadly about people of color.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Polls asking voters about priorities use different methodologies, but they broadly agree on the dominance of pocketbook concerns.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
In India, AI, or the new economy broadly, is a major missing piece of its growth story.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Saying all of this broadly without context would be an argument as compelling as Iñárritu’s — which is to say, not very.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
“Here we go,” he smiled broadly, and added the card to one of the rows.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
