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

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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

A big question for the months ahead: To what extent will higher energy prices continue to bleed into other parts of the economy and drive up prices more broadly?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

“Within this backdrop, we would recommend being long the SOX broadly into year-end.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026

The new research provides the first detailed look at how living bacteria interact with the physical structure of marine snow and, more broadly, mucus itself.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

And for the TV industry more broadly, questions will once again be asked about reality TV - and whether shows like this can ever keep their contributors safe.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

“I never realized it would he so simple,” said the king, stroking his beard and smiling broadly.

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster

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Related Words

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

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