Narrowing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The process of reducing the width or extent of something encompasses both physical and conceptual constraints on size or scope
2. A procedure that entails making an object or idea more limited in dimension or influence indicates a tightening or restriction
3. The act of diminishing the breadth or range of an entity shows a contraction in both physical measurement and abstract implications

Etymology: Narrowing is simply the present participle and gerund of "narrow", so its story is really the story of the adjective it comes from. That adjective descends from Old English "nearu", meaning not only "not wide" but also "confined", "oppressive" and even "petty" or "strict". Those harsher senses show how much the old word leaned toward restriction and hardship rather than mere measurement. The root reaches back to a Proto-Indo-European form meaning "to turn, bend, twist, constrict", which is why a narrow space is one that has been squeezed or twisted tight. Related words in the Germanic languages keep this sense of tightness: North Frisian "naar" and Dutch "naar" both mean narrow, and the Danish and Swedish "nor" names a narrow strait.

Synonyms: constriction, reduction, thinning, tightening, shrinking

Antonyms: widening, expansion, broadening, enlarging, spreading