Meanings
broaden1
present singular third person broadens · participle present broadening · participle past broadened · past broadened
- intransitiveTo become broad or broader.
The roads gradually broadened as we drove into the countryside.
1 more example
Her knowledge broadened after spending a year in South America.
Synonyms: widen
Broaden2
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo become broad or broader.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
broaden · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-der.?
- Proto-Germanic*braidaz
- Proto-West Germanic*braid
- Old Englishbrād
- Middle Englishbrod
- Englishbroad
- Englishbroaden
From broad + -en (verbal suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Broaden · proper noun
- Old Englishbrād“broad”
- EnglishBroaden
Perhaps a topographic surname for someone who lived in a broad valley, from Old English brād (“broad”) + dene (“valley”). Alternatively, it could be a variant of the surname Braden.
More words from Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian разширявам, разширявам се
- разширявам (razširjavam)to make broad
- разширявам се (razširjavam se)to become broad
Chinese Mandarin 擴大 /扩大
- 擴大 /扩大 (kuòdà)to become broad
Dutch verbreden, verruimen
- verbredento make broad
- verruimento make broad
Finnish laajentaa, laajentua
- laajentaato make broad
- laajentuato become broad
- laajetato become broad
French élargir, s'élargir
- élargirto make broad
- s'élargirto become broad
German sich weiten
- sich weitento become broad
Irish leathnaigh, leathnaigh
- leathnaighto make broad
- leathnaighto become broad
Italian ampliare, allargare
- ampliareto make broad
- allargareto make broad
- estendereto make broad
- allargarsito become broad
- ampliarsito become broad
Japanese 広げる, 広める
- 広げる (hirogeru)to make broad
- 広める (hiromeru)to make broad
- 広がる (hirogaru)to become broad
- 広まる (hiromaru)to become broad
Māori whakawhānui, rangiwhāwhā
- whakawhānuito make broad
- rangiwhāwhāto become broad
Polish poszerzać, poszerzyć
- poszerzaćto make broad
- poszerzyćto make broad
- poszerzać sięto become broad
- poszerzyć sięto become broad
Portuguese alargar, alargar-se
- alargarto make broad
- alargar-seto become broad
Romanian lărgi
- lărgito make broad
Russian расширя́ть, расши́рить
- расширя́ть (rasširjátʹ)to make broad
- расши́рить (rasšíritʹ)to make broad
- расширя́ться (rasširjátʹsja)to become broad
- расши́риться (rasšíritʹsja)to become broad
Spanish ensanchar, ensancharse
- ensancharto make broad
- ensancharseto become broad
Swedish bredda, vidga
- breddato make broad
- vidgato make broad
- breddasto become broad
Turkish genişletmek, genişlemek
- genişletmekto make broad
- genişlemekto become broad
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
broaden. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broaden
“broaden.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broaden. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broaden,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broaden.
Source: broaden on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.