widen
B1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
To make something become wider or broader; to increase in width or extent.
To increase in scope, range, or inclusivity; to cause something to cover a larger area, number of people, or set of circumstances.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a process or deliberate action to expand something. Can be both literal (physical width) and figurative (scope, gap, difference). The verb can be transitive or intransitive.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. The word is equally common and used identically.
Connotations
None specific.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
widen somethingsomething widenswiden into somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “widen your horizons”
- “the gap/divide widens”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for market expansion, increasing customer base, or growing profit margins: 'The company plans to widen its product range.'
Academic
Used in discussions of research scope, social inequalities, or historical analysis: 'The study aims to widen the theoretical framework.'
Everyday
Common for physical spaces, differences of opinion, or choices: 'We need to widen the driveway for two cars.'
Technical
Used in engineering, construction, and geography: 'The engineers will widen the bridge's supports.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council voted to widen the pavement for cyclists.
- The economic divide continues to widen.
- His eyes widened in surprise.
American English
- The city will widen the highway next summer.
- The investigation widened to include federal agencies.
- Her smile widened when she saw the gift.
adverb
British English
- He grinned widely. (Note: 'widely' is the standard adverb, not 'widenly').
American English
- She smiled widely. (Note: 'widely' is the standard adverb, not 'widenly').
adjective
British English
- The newly widened lane is now open.
- A widening gap in policy emerged.
American English
- The widened entrance can handle more traffic.
- They discussed the widening income inequality.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The road widens after the next turn.
- Her eyes widened when she saw the puppy.
- The government wants to widen access to university education.
- The river widens as it flows towards the sea.
- The scandal is likely to widen the political rift between the two parties.
- We need to widen the scope of our research to include more case studies.
- Efforts to widen the tax base have met with considerable political resistance.
- The crack in the foundation has been widening imperceptibly for years.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a WIDE gate, and then you make it WIDEN. 'Wide' is in the word.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE IS A PHYSICAL AREA (widen your horizons). DIFFERENCE/DISAGREEMENT IS A PHYSICAL GAP (the gap widens).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'увеличивать' for all contexts; 'widen' is specifically about width/scope, not general increase. Not synonymous with 'углублять' (to deepen).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'widen' for intensification instead of expansion (e.g., 'widen the pain' is incorrect). Incorrect preposition: 'widen on' instead of 'widen' or 'widen into'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'widen' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very commonly used figuratively for gaps, differences, scope, access, and horizons.
They are often interchangeable, especially figuratively. 'Broaden' can sound slightly more formal or intellectual (broaden your mind). 'Widen' is more literal for physical width and more common for gaps/divisions.
Yes. For example: 'The road widens ahead.' (intransitive) vs. 'They will widen the road.' (transitive).
The most common noun is 'widening', as in 'the widening of the gap'. 'Width' is the related noun for the state of being wide.