broadly

American  

[brawd-lee] / ˈbrɔd li /

adverb

1. 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.

2. to a great extent; widely.

   Which of these principles and values do you think are the most broadly shared by your neighbors?

3. to a similar extent; generally.

   Production is expected to be broadly in line with last year’s, setting us up for another record harvest.

4. in a widely diffused or bright manner.

   The curtains opened, revealing several characters milling about on a broadly lit stage.

5. in a way that is not limited, narrow, or overly specific.

   Network-connected computers are broadly categorized as either servers or workstations.

6. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of broadly

broad ( def. ) + -ly

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

See Examples For:

broadly

More broadly, the thermometer climbed above 35 C in regions covering 80 percent of Europe’s residents, some 490 million people.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

What we're seeing is a picture of consistency, broadly, after years of flux in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled because of the Covid pandemic and results were based on teachers' assessments.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Unlike in the U.S. system, tuition fees are broadly the same at most English universities, so most students have no lower-cost option to avoid debt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Once there, they produce SumIL-2 where the treatment is needed rather than broadly throughout the body.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

As I tried to focus on what Mr. Dowuona was saying, he poked me in the ribs, grinned broadly, and pointed at Kekeli.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• commonly
• customarily
• largely
• mostly
• normally
• ordinarily
• publicly
• roughly
• typically
• universally
• usually
• widely