width
WIHTTH
Width (noun) means the measurement or extent of something from side to side. Example: “The river narrows to half its usual width near the old bridge.”
noun
1
The measurement or extent of something from side to side.
"The river narrows to half its usual width near the old bridge."
"Measure the width of the doorway before buying the sofa."
"The pool has a width of ten metres."
2
A piece of material of a certain width, especially fabric.
"The tailor joined two widths of velvet to make the long skirt."
"The curtain was made from three widths of cotton sewn together."
"Buy an extra width of fabric for the hem."
How to use width
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow wide something is — its side-to-side measurement.
Common mistake
"Wide" is the adjective ("a wide road"); "width" is the noun ("the width of the road").
Easily confused with
Common pairings
width of
full width
measure the width
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Word forms
- Plural
- widths
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The river narrows to half its usual _____ near the old bridge.
Etymology
From wide plus the suffix -th (as in "length" from "long"), first recorded around the 16th century.
Class of 1500
width joined the language around 1500.
See the full Class of 1500 →
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “width” mean?
The word “width” means the measurement or extent of something from side to side. In plain terms, how wide something is — its side-to-side measurement.
How do you pronounce “width”?
“Width” is pronounced WIHTTH (/ˈwɪtθ/ in IPA).
How do you use “width” in a sentence?
Here is “width” used in a sentence: “Measure the width of the doorway before buying the sofa.”
What is another word for “width”?
Words with a similar meaning to “width” include broadness, thickness and wideness.
What is the opposite of “width”?
The opposite of “width” — its antonyms — is length.
What part of speech is “width”?
“Width” is a noun.
Where does the word “width” come from?
The word “width” dates back to around 1500. From wide plus the suffix -th (as in "length" from "long"), first recorded around the 16th century.
Is “width” a common word?
“Width” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between width and length?
Width is the measurement of something from side to side, while length is the measurement of its longest dimension from end to end. For a rectangle, the longer sides are usually described as the length and the shorter sides as the width. When the two are equal, as in a square, the labels become interchangeable.
What is the difference between width and breadth?
Width and breadth both refer to the distance across something from side to side, and in most sentences they are interchangeable. Width is the everyday and technical choice, especially in measurements and specifications, while breadth sounds slightly more formal and is often used figuratively, as in 'breadth of knowledge'.
Which comes first when giving dimensions, length or width?
There is no single universal rule, but the most common convention for objects is length × width × height. For flat items such as paper, screens, and windows, sizes are usually stated as width × height instead. To avoid confusion, label each figure, for example '200 cm (L) × 90 cm (W)'.
Is it correct to say 'two metres wide' or 'two metres in width'?
Both are correct. 'Two metres wide' uses the adjective wide and is the more natural choice in everyday speech, while 'two metres in width' uses the noun and sounds slightly more formal or technical. Remember that wide is the adjective and width is the noun, so 'the width is two metres' also works, but 'the wide is two metres' does not.
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