• (RP) IPA: /bɹɔːd/
• (GA) IPA: /bɹɔd/
• (cot-caught, Canada) IPA: /bɹɑd/

broad (comparative broader, superlative broadest)

1. Wide in extent or scope.

   three feet broad

   the broad expanse of ocean

2. Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full.
   • 1720, William Bartlet, a sermon

     broad and open day

   • May 12, 1860, Eliza Watson, Witches and witchcraft (in Once A Week, No. 46.)

     crushing the minds of its victims in the broad and open day

3. Having a large measure of any thing or quality; unlimited; unrestrained.
   • 1693, [John Locke], “§140”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], OCLC 1161614482 ↗:

     a broad mixture of falsehood

4. Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.
   • 1819, D. Daggett, Sturges v. Crowninshield

     The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case.

   • 1859, Edward Everett, Daniel Webster: An Oration On the Occasion of the Dedication of the Statue of Mr. Webster,

     in a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way

5. Plain; evident.

   a broad hint

6. (writing) Unsubtle; obvious.
7. Free; unrestrained; unconfined.
   • c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iv]:

     as broad and general as the casing air

8. (dated) Gross; coarse; indelicate.

   a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humour

9. (of an accent) Strongly regional.
10. (Gaelic languages) Velarized, i.e. not palatalized.

• (wide—regarding occupied space, width of an object) thin, narrow
• (wide—regarding body width) skinny
• (comprehensive) all-encompassing; see also Thesaurus:comprehensive
• (not palatalized) slender

• French: large
• German: breit
• Portuguese: largo
• Russian: в ширину́

• French: fort

broad (plural broads)

1. (UK) A shallow lake, one of a number of bodies of water in eastern Norfolk and Suffolk.
2. A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders.
3. (UK, historical) A British gold coin worth 20 shillings, issued by the Commonwealth of England in 1656.

broad (plural broads)

1. (dated) A prostitute, a woman of loose morals.
2. (US, colloquial, slang, sometimes, dated, pejorative) A woman or girl.

   Who was that broad I saw you with?

• See also Thesaurus:prostitute
• See also Thesaurus:woman
• See also Thesaurus:girl

• French: gonzesse, meuf
• German: Weib, Braut
• Russian: де́вка
• Spanish: pava (Spain), piba (Argentina), jermu (slang, backslang of mujer)

1. Surname