broad

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective (broader, broadest) wide 1 wide: a broad street / avenue / river * broad shoulders * He is tall, broad and muscular. * a broad smile / grin (= one in which your mouth is stretched very wide because you are very pleased or amused) OPPNARROW(1) 2 used after a measurement of distance to show how wide sth is: two metres broad and one metre high wide range 3 including a great variety of people or things: a broad range of products * a broad spectrum of interests * There is broad support for the government's policies. * She took a broad view of the duties of being a teacher (= she believed her duties included a wide range of things). * a broad and balanced curriculum * We must ensure the project is of advantage to the broader community and does not just benefit a few individuals. OPPNARROW general 4 [onlybeforenoun] general; not detailed: the broad outline of a proposal * The negotiators were in broad agreement on the main issues. * She's a feminist, in the broadest sense of the word. * In broad terms, the paper argues that each country should develop its own policy. * Computer viruses fall into three broad categories. OPPNARROW land / water 5 covering a wide area: a broad expanse of water * the broad plains of the American West accent 6 if sb has a broad accent, you can hear very easily which area they come from: a broad Yorkshire accent hint 7 if sb gives a broad hint, they make it very clear what they are thinking or what they want seealsoBREADTH, BROADLY -< WIDE IDIOMS a broad church (BrE) an organization that accepts a wide range of opinions: The party aims to be a broad church with members from all sections of society. (in) broad daylight (in) the clear light of day, when it is easy to see: The robbery occurred in broad daylight, in a crowded street. it's as broad as it's long (BrE, spoken) it makes no real difference which of two possible choices you make moreatPAINTv. noun (old-fashioned, AmE, slang) an offensive way of referring to a woman