broad-minded

adjective

ˈbrȯd-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce broad-minded (audio)
Definition of broad-mindednext
1
as in liberal
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs a broad-minded philosophy of parenting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in open
willing to consider new or different ideas we have to be broad-minded on this issue, since traditional solutions no longer work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broad-minded The definition of a liberal is someone who’s too broad-minded to take his own side in an argument. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026 Michael Landon’s long-running TV adaptation, which premiered in 1974, transformed Little House into comfort food, broad-minded but schmaltzy. — Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026 Liberal means generous, broad-minded, tolerant, worldly, seeking acculturation and education, and using government to aid collective human flourishing. — Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Plus, a lot of social policies that many Californians consider beneficent and broad-minded that, to put it mildly, others around the country consider much less so. — Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025 Instead of articulating a compelling vision that could spark a broad-minded counterpunch to narrow-minded populism, Newsom has taken an oddly defeatist course in his first podcasts. — Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025 Jewish groups that are more broad-minded and sensible reacted with concern over the fate of the hostages and revulsion at the entire idea. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025 The poet Robert Frost once said that a liberal is someone too broad-minded to take his own side in a fight. — Rich Lowry, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Intelligent, beautiful, 18 to 25, broad-minded, sensitive, affectionate. — Adrienne Raphel, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broad-minded
  1. liberal
  2. open
  3. progressive
  4. receptive
  5. modern
  6. open-minded
  7. unconventional
  8. radical
Adjective
  • Tottenham Hotspur starting the transfer window as the Premier League’s most liberal and audacious spenders feels like a long time ago.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Just this week, Russia’s supreme court blocked Yabloko, the only remaining liberal, anti-war party on the ballot for parliamentary elections, from running.
    — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberal
Adjective
  • Selling youth players has proved profitable for many other Premier League sides and there has been speculation this week over the future of Myles Lewis-Skelly, while his fellow academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri is someone the club are open to selling.
    — Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Anna’s sheer lace dress with a huge keyhole in the front and an open back is fine but also like a million other dresses; the same goes for Jude’s nicely constructed, but very familiar, black velvet dress with a corset.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of open
Adjective
  • His distribution was decent, too, completing eight progressive passes per game, placing him 11th among that same group.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of progressive
Adjective
  • For Gubba, the desire for something tangible helps explain why traditional living has found a receptive audience online.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Hinckley launched a music career after being granted unconditional release in 2022, but found some concert venues weren’t receptive to hosting his performances.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of receptive
Adjective
  • There’s a keen juxtaposition of the old and the modern throughout this part of Edinburgh, where buildings made of ancient volcanic sandstone accommodate hip boutiques like record store Underground Solu'shn and coffee shops like The Milkman.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Okuyama emphasizes a focus on lightweight construction and a direct human connection, using traditional craftsmanship alongside modern tech.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of modern
Adjective
  • In most variants this new religious movement can be regarded as a modern Pagan religion, but its eclectic and open-minded ethos means that it is also followed by members of other religions, such as Buddhism and Christianity.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After listening, parents should be open-minded about making some changes as needed, Blake said.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of open-minded
Adjective
  • Despite the unconventional nature, both Ray J and Brown likely walked away with significant earnings from the Zeus Promotions event.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After using unconventional tactics, such as water-dropping helicopters, LAFD crews knocked down the fire and returned the property to Lineage for cleanup.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies.
    — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Legalization makes that imagery easy to flatten, but Frankie lighting a joint in that guy’s driveway still feels like a radical act.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of radical

Browse Nearby Words

broadly
broad-minded
broad-mindedness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broad-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broad-minded. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on broad-minded

Nglish: Translation of broad-minded for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All