English Meaning & Definitions
The act or process of becoming or making something broader or more extensive.
- “The widening of the highway caused significant traffic delays during construction.”
- “There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor in many urban areas.”
Increasing in breadth, scope, or extent.
- “She felt a widening sense of panic as the room began to fill with smoke.”
- “The widening influence of social media has changed how we consume news.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “widening”.
Derived from the Middle English 'widen', which stems from the Old English 'wīdan', related to the Proto-Germanic '*wīdaz' meaning 'wide' or 'spacious'. The suffix '-ing' is added to form the present participle or gerund, indicating the process of becoming broader.
Think of a 'wide' river that is 'ening' (ending) its narrow path by spreading out.
Frequently Asked Questions About “widening”
1. What is the meaning of “widening” in English?
In English, widening (noun) is defined as: “The act or process of becoming or making something broader or more extensive.”.
2. How do you use “widening” in a sentence?
“The widening of the highway caused significant traffic delays during construction.”
3. What are English synonyms of “widening”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “widening”?
Derived from the Middle English 'widen', which stems from the Old English 'wīdan', related to the Proto-Germanic '*wīdaz' meaning 'wide' or 'spacious'. The suffix '-ing' is added to form the present participle or gerund, indicating the process of becoming broader.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.