broadly

[ brawd-lee ]

adverb

1. across a wide area:

   Seismologists say the earthquake was broadly felt because the hard granite in the area of the epicenter strongly conducts ground motion.

2. to a great extent; widely:

   Which of these principles and values do you think are the most broadly shared by your neighbors?

3. to a similar extent; generally:

   Production is expected to be broadly in line with last year’s, setting us up for another record harvest.

4. in a widely diffused or bright manner:

   The curtains opened, revealing several characters milling about on a broadly lit stage.

5. in a way that is not limited, narrow, or overly specific:

   Network-connected computers are broadly categorized as either servers or workstations.

6. in a plain, clear, or bold manner:

   She knew immediately that the broadly scrawled handwriting on the note was her brother’s.

   Most of the people in these photographs are grinning broadly and looking directly into the camera.

Word History and Origins

Origin of broadly¹

broad ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

They argue that the state’s exceptions require clarification and should be interpreted more broadly.

From Slate

Meanwhile, the New York Times, in a “news” article — I use that term very lightly and broadly — gave us their opinion about a “depressed and demoralized Democratic Party,” which has begun a “painful slog into a largely powerless future.”

From Salon

From online comments, she gauges that society is broadly more accepting toward LGBTQ+ people than decades ago.

From Los Angeles Times

More broadly, Trump abhors multinational alliances, especially NATO.

From Slate

The latest target is broadly in line with the UK’s legally-binding carbon-cutting path towards net zero emissions by 2050, contained in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

From BBC

Related Words

• commonly
• customarily
• largely
• mostly
• normally
• ordinarily
• publicly
• roughly
• typically
• universally
• usually
• widely