width

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.

“Width” is pronounced WIHTTH (/ˈwɪtθ/ in IPA).

Here is “width” used in a sentence: “Measure the width of the doorway before buying the sofa.”

Words with a similar meaning to “width” include broadness, thickness and wideness.

The opposite of “width” — its antonyms — is length.

“Width” is a noun.

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.

“Width” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

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.

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'.

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)'.

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.