Broad vs. Narrow — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 16, 2023
"Broad" refers to something wide or extensive, while "narrow" indicates limited width or scope.
Difference Between Broad and Narrow
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Broad" is often used to describe something that is wide in a physical, conceptual, or metaphorical sense, providing a sense of expansiveness or comprehensiveness. On the other hand, "narrow" typically refers to something with a smaller width or a more limited scope or range, suggesting confinement or restriction.
In terms of physical description, "broad" might refer to a wide street, a large open area, or an expansive landscape, indicating a larger, more open space. Conversely, "narrow" could describe a tight corridor, a slim object, or a confined space, implying very limited room or a lack of openness.
When referring to ideas or understandings, "broad" suggests a wide range of aspects or elements are included, like having a broad knowledge of a subject, meaning extensive or comprehensive understanding. "Narrow," however, would imply a very limited or specific range of understanding or focus, as in a narrow viewpoint.
In the context of choices or opportunities, "broad" suggests there are many different options available, a diversity, as in a broad array of choices. "Narrow" would mean the options are very limited, there's not much variety, as in a narrow selection.
Speaking of implications or impacts, "broad" might mean affecting a wide range or large number of people or things, like a decision having broad implications. "Narrow" would indicate the effects or impacts are limited to a very specific group or area, like narrow consequences.
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
Wide, extensive in scope or range.
Limited in scope or range, confined.
Application
Applies to physical, conceptual, or metaphorical expansiveness.
Often refers to physical or specific conceptual limitation.
Connotation
Implies inclusiveness, variety.
Suggests exclusiveness, restriction.
Flexibility
More adaptable, less specific.
Less adaptable, more specific.
Perspective
Offers a wider view or understanding.
Provides a more focused, limited view.
Compare with Definitions
Broad
Covering a wide range of subjects or areas.
Her broad reading habits made her knowledgeable.
Narrow
Of small width in relation to length.
The narrow path wound through the woods.
Broad
Having an ample distance from side to side.
The river was broad and slow-moving.
Narrow
Of small or limited width, especially in comparison with length.
Broad
Relating to the main or general aspects of something.
They had a broad agreement about the plan's direction.
Narrow
Limited in area or scope; cramped.
Broad
Extensive in scope or effect.
The policy has broad implications for many sectors.
Narrow
Lacking flexibility; rigid
Narrow opinions.
Broad
Wide in extent from side to side
A broad river.
Broad shoulders.
Narrow
Barely sufficient; close
A narrow margin of victory.
Broad
Large in expanse; spacious
A broad lawn.
Narrow
Painstakingly thorough or attentive; meticulous
Narrow scrutiny.
Broad
Having a certain width from side to side
A sidewalk three feet broad.
Narrow
(Linguistics) Tense.
Broad
Full; open
Broad daylight.
Narrow
To reduce in width or extent; make narrower.
Broad
Covering a wide scope; general
A broad rule.
Narrow
To limit or restrict
Narrowed the possibilities down to three.
Broad
Liberal; tolerant
Had broad views regarding social services.
Narrow
To become narrower; contract.
Broad
Relating to or covering the main facts or the essential points
A plan presented in broad outline.
Narrow
A part of little width, as a pass through mountains.
Broad
Plain and clear; obvious
Gave us a broad hint to leave.
Narrow
A body of water with little width that connects two larger bodies of water.
Broad
Vulgar; ribald
A broad joke.
Narrow
A part of a river or an ocean current that is not wide.
Broad
Strikingly regional or dialectal
A broad Southern accent.
Narrow
Having a small width; not wide; having opposite edges or sides that are close, especially by comparison to length or depth.
A narrow hallway
Broad
(Linguistics) Pronounced with the tongue placed low and flat and with the oral cavity wide open, like the a in father.
Narrow
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
Broad
A wide flat part, as of one's hand.
Narrow
(figuratively) Restrictive; without flexibility or latitude.
A narrow interpretation
Broad
Offensive Slang A woman or girl.
Narrow
Contracted; of limited scope; bigoted
A narrow mind
Narrow views
Broad
Fully; completely.
Narrow
Having a small margin or degree.
A narrow escape
The Republicans won by a narrow majority.
Broad
Wide in extent or scope.
Three feet broad
The broad expanse of ocean
Narrow
(dated) Limited as to means; straitened
Narrow circumstances
Broad
Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full.
Narrow
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
Broad
Having a large measure of any thing or quality; unlimited; unrestrained.
Narrow
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
Broad
Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.
Narrow
(phonetics) Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; distinguished from wide.
Broad
Plain; evident.
A broad hint
Narrow
A narrow passage, especially a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water.
The narrows of New York harbor
Broad
General rather than specific.
To be in broad agreement
Narrow
(transitive) To reduce in width or extent; to contract.
We need to narrow the search.
Broad
(writing) Unsubtle; obvious.
Narrow
(intransitive) To get narrower.
The road narrows.
Broad
Free; unrestrained; unconfined.
Narrow
(of a person or eyes) To partially lower one's eyelids in a way usually taken to suggest a defensive, aggressive or penetrating look.
He stepped in front of me, narrowing his eyes to slits.
She wagged her finger in his face, and her eyes narrowed.
Broad
(dated) Gross; coarse; indelicate.
A broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humour
Narrow
(knitting) To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Broad
(of an accent) Strongly regional.
She still has a broad Scottish accent, despite moving to California 20 years ago.
Narrow
To convert to a data type that cannot hold as many distinct values.
To narrow an
int variable to a short variableBroad
(Gaelic languages) Velarized, i.e. not palatalized.
Narrow
Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem.
Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas.
Broad
(UK) A shallow lake, one of a number of bodies of water in eastern Norfolk and Suffolk.
Narrow
Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.
The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass in the world.
Broad
A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders.
Narrow
Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near{5}; - with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow miss; a narrow majority.
Broad
A British gold coin worth 20 shillings, issued by the Commonwealth of England in 1656.
Narrow
Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.
Broad
A kind of floodlight.
Narrow
Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views.
Broad
A playing card.
Narrow
Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.
A very narrow and stinted charity.
Broad
(dated) A prostitute, a woman of loose morals.
Narrow
Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.
But first with narrow search I must walk roundThis garden, and no corner leave unspied.
Broad
A woman or girl.
Narrow
Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; - distinguished from wide; as ē (ēve) and Ō (fŌd), etc., from ĭ (ĭll) and Ŏ (fŎt), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, 13.
Broad
Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; - opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad.
Narrow
A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; - usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor.
Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerousnarrow.
Broad
Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean.
Narrow
To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of.
Broad
Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full.
Narrow
To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion.
Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings.
Broad
Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; - applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive.
A broad mixture of falsehood.
Narrow
To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Broad
Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.
The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case.
In a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way.
Narrow
To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.
Broad
Plain; evident; as, a broad hint.
Narrow
Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows.
Broad
Free; unrestrained; unconfined.
As broad and general as the casing air.
Narrow
To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.
Broad
Characterized by breadth. See Breadth.
Narrow
A narrow strait connecting two bodies of water
Broad
Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor.
Narrow
Make or become more narrow or restricted;
The selection was narrowed
The road narrowed
Broad
Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent.
It is as broad as long, whether they rise to others, or bring others down to them.
Narrow
Define clearly;
I cannot narrow down the rules for this game
Broad
The broad part of anything; as, the broad of an oar.
Narrow
Become more special;
We specialize in dried flowers
Broad
The spread of a river into a sheet of water; a flooded fen.
Narrow
Become tight or as if tight;
Her throat constricted
Broad
A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders.
Narrow
Not wide;
A narrow bridge
A narrow line across the page
Broad
A woman, especially one who is sexually promiscuous; - usually considered offensive.
Narrow
Limited in size or scope;
The narrow sense of a word
Broad
Slang term for a woman;
A broad is a woman who can throw a mean punch
Narrow
Lacking tolerance or flexibility or breadth of view;
A brilliant but narrow-minded judge
Narrow opinions
Broad
Having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other;
Wide roads
A wide necktie
Wide margins
Three feet wide
A river two miles broad
Broad shoulders
A broad river
Narrow
Very limited in degree;
Won by a narrow margin
A narrow escape
Broad
Broad in scope or content;
Across-the-board pay increases
An all-embracing definition
Blanket sanctions against human-rights violators
An invention with broad applications
A panoptic study of Soviet nationality
Granted him wide powers
Narrow
Characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination;
A minute inspection of the grounds
A narrow scrutiny
An exact and minute report
Broad
Not detailed or specific;
A broad rule
The broad outlines of the plan
Felt an unspecific dread
Narrow
Limited in extent, amount, or scope.
His narrow expertise was in ancient pottery.
Broad
Lacking subtlety; obvious;
Gave us a broad hint that it was time to leave
Narrow
Lacking breadth of view or sympathy.
She was criticized for her narrow perspective.
Broad
Being at a peak or culminating point;
Broad day
Full summer
High noon
Narrow
Barely adequate or successful in amount or range.
They won the game by a narrow margin.
Broad
Very large in expanse or scope;
A broad lawn
The wide plains
A spacious view
Spacious skies
Narrow
Precisely defined or limited.
The research had a narrow focus on freshwater fish.
Broad
(of speech) heavily and noticeably regional;
A broad southern accent
Broad
Showing or characterized by broad-mindedness;
A broad political stance
Generous and broad sympathies
A liberal newspaper
Tolerant of his opponent's opinions
Broad
Including a variety of different things or types.
The festival offered a broad spectrum of activities.
Common Curiosities
Can "broad" and "narrow" apply to abstract concepts?
Yes, they can describe the scope of ideas, understanding, or implications.
How do "broad" and "narrow" differ in physical terms?
"Broad" refers to wide expanses, "narrow" to confined spaces or thin objects.
Do "broad" and "narrow" have synonyms?
Yes, "broad": wide, expansive; "narrow": limited, restricted.
What do "broad" and "narrow" generally indicate in English?
"Broad" indicates width or inclusivity, "narrow" refers to limited scope or specificity.
Can these words apply to academic fields or expertise?
Yes, "broad" suggests wide-ranging knowledge, "narrow" indicates specialized expertise.
Are "broad" and "narrow" antonyms?
In many contexts, they are considered opposites.
Can these words be used in a neutral, non-judgmental way?
Yes, they can be descriptive without implying good or bad quality.
How do these terms relate to tolerance?
Indirectly, where "broad" might imply openness, "narrow" might suggest closed-mindedness.
Can "broad" and "narrow" describe types of research or study?
Yes, they can indicate the scope of the research or focus area.
Can "broad" and "narrow" refer to perspectives or mindsets?
Absolutely, indicating either open-mindedness or a limited viewpoint, respectively.
How might these words relate to social impacts?
"Broad" implies wide-reaching effects, "narrow" suggests limited or specific impacts.
Are there contexts where "narrow" is positive and "broad" negative?
Yes, such as a "narrow" focus being seen as necessary specialization, and "broad" as being too vague.
Do "broad" and "narrow" have different connotations in different cultures?
Possibly, as interpretations of scope and inclusivity can vary culturally.
Can "broad" and "narrow" be used in discussions of diversity?
Yes, "broad" can imply inclusivity, while "narrow" might suggest homogeneity.
Do "broad" and "narrow" apply to choices or options?
Yes, indicating either a wide range or a limited selection.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
