noun
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the linear extent or measurement of something from side to side, usually being the shortest dimension or (for something fixed) the shortest horizontal dimension
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the state or fact of being wide
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a piece or section of something at its full extent from side to side
a width of cloth
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the distance across a rectangular swimming bath, as opposed to its length
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of width
Explanation
The noun width means the measurement of an object from one side to the other. The width of your twin bed is less than the width of your parents' queen-sized bed. When you're talking about the dimensions of something, specifically how wide it is, you're discussing its width. The width of your backyard might not lend itself to a full croquet court, but you can still play horseshoes back there. And the width of the streets in some Midwestern cities might surprise you if you're used to narrow New England roads. Before the word width gained popularity in the 1620s, people used the now less common wideness instead.
Vocabulary lists containing width
Geometry - Introductory
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Measurement and Data, List 2
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Geometry (Base List)
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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.
See Examples For:
For side sleepers the key measurement is the width of your shoulders.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The longtime Wedge bodysurfer figures the beach has lost around two-thirds of its width this year, leaving just 50 yards or so between the water and the first row of homes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Johns Hopkins described them as roughly 100 times smaller than a hair's width.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
The hulking, three-story gray concrete structure is the width of a city block, with entrances on Tobias Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
I could see the entire length and width of the Ballroom without anyone seeing me.
From "The Witches" by Roald Dahl
It is currently in the process of updating its track widths to match the European standard.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Drilling delivered high gold grades, strong widths, and mineralized extensions, says analyst Mike Millikan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
The idea was that properties would be continuously redeveloped and that the streets would eventually reach new, consistent widths.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
For each material, you can choose among a variety of depths and widths.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
Now imagine that line divided into a thousand equal widths.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
