Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪdən/

Definitions of widen

verb to make or become wider

Example Sentences

A1 I need to widen my knowledge of basic vocabulary.

A2 She used a shovel to widen the hole in the ground.

B1 The company decided to widen its product range to attract more customers.

B2 The investigation is expected to widen to include more suspects.

C1 The government plans to widen the highway to reduce traffic congestion.

C2 The artist's popularity continued to widen as more people discovered her work.

adjective having a greater width

Example Sentences

A1 The road widened as we approached the city.

A2 The river widened into a large lake.

B1 The company decided to widen their product range to attract more customers.

B2 The investigation into the corruption scandal is expected to widen to include more high-ranking officials.

C1 The political divide in the country continues to widen, causing tension among the population.

C2 The implications of the new law are expected to widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

Examples of widen in a Sentence

formal The government plans to widen the highway to reduce traffic congestion.

informal They're going to widen the road so it's easier to drive on.

slang Let's widen this path to make more room for us to walk.

figurative We need to widen our perspective to see things from different angles.

Grammatical Forms of widen

past tense

widened

plural

widens

comparative

wider

superlative

widest

present tense

widen

future tense

will widen

perfect tense

has widened

continuous tense

is widening

singular

widens

positive degree

wide

infinitive

to widen

gerund

widening

participle

widening

Origin and Evolution of widen

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'widen' originated from the Old English word 'widnian' which meant to make wide or broader.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'widen' has retained its original meaning of making something wider or broader. It has also been used metaphorically to describe the expansion or increase of various concepts or ideas.