breadth

noun

ˈbretth 

ˈbredth,

nonstandard

ˈbreth 

1

: distance from side to side : width

the height, breadth, and depth of each piece of furniture

2

: something of full width

begin with a breadth of silk

3

a

: comprehensive quality : scope

the breadth of his learning

b

: liberality of views or taste

breadth of mind

breadthwise

ˈbretth-ˌwīz 

ˈbredth-

 nonstandard  ˈbreth-

adverb or adjective

Synonyms

• distance
• expanse
• expansion
• extent
• field
• length
• plain
• reach
• sheet
• spread
• stretch
• waste

Examples of breadth in a Sentence

We measured the height, breadth, and depth of each piece of furniture.

a great breadth of land awaited those who were brave and hardy enough to settle it

Recent Examples on the Web

Your own career spans a wide breadth of American music. —Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

Unlike most bias-mitigation efforts that prioritize English, this dataset is malleable, with human translations for testing a wider breadth of languages and cultures. —Reece Rogers, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025

However, the strong breadth overall was a positive sign. —Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

The breadth and depth of music on television were on full display on April 15 at IndieWire and Disney’s Pass the Remote panel, where some of the best composers and music supervisors in the business gathered in front of a packed theater at Vidiots Foundation in Los Angeles to discuss their work. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English breadeth, breth, from brede breadth (from Old English brǣdu, from brād broad) + -th (as in lengthe length)

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breadth

• hair's breadth
• the length and breadth of

Rhymes for breadth

• overbreadth

Kids Definition

breadth

noun

ˈbredth  ˈbretth 

ˈbreth

1

: distance from side to side : width

2

a

: something of full width

b

: a wide area

3

: scope entry 1 sense 2

breadth of knowledge