Broadings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The process of making something wider or more expansive in scope or width
2. A term referring to the act of enlarging or extending an area, concept, or argument
3. An instance or method of increasing breadth, whether in physical dimensions or metaphorical contexts

Etymology: "Broadings" is the plural of "broading," a noun made by adding the suffix "-ing" to "broad." The base is an ordinary English adjective inherited from Old English "brād," which is related to Dutch "breed" and German "breit." The "-ing" ending turns an action into a noun, as in "building" or "setting," so the word names the act or result of making something wider. Because the term is listed as both a noun and a verb, it is best read as a verbal noun, a form that keeps the action of its verb while behaving like a noun. Its meaning covers physical width and figurative expansion alike, which follows directly from the adjective's own range of senses.

Synonyms: expansions, widenings, extensions

Antonyms: narrowings, contractions