Other forms: broadened, broadening, broadens
To broaden is to make or become wider or more far-reaching. Broaden the search, broaden your horizons, the river broadens.
The figurative use is the commoner: broadening an appeal or a search means taking in more than before. Broaden your horizons is the standing phrase for travel and for reading outside your own corner.
1verbbroadenTo make or become wider or more far-reaching.
“The river broadens as it gets closer to the sea.”
broaden is a widening.
From broad + -en.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA