Allargare

Allargare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to make something wider or larger, and by extension to broaden or extend in a figurative sense. It can refer to physical dimensions, such as widening a road, a doorway, or a space, as well as to the scope of activities, groups, or concepts, for example widening the circle of participants or broadening horizons. The intransitive form allargarsi describes the action of becoming wider or more extensive on its own, as in a street widening or a market expanding its range.

Etymology and grammar

The verb is built from the adjective largo (wide) with the prefix a-, creating a causative sense: to cause something to become wide. Allargare belongs to the first conjugation (-are verbs) and has the standard inflection pattern. The infinitive is allargare; the gerund is allargando; the past participle is allargato. Present indicative forms include allargo, allargi, allarga, allargiamo, allargate, allargano. The intransitive form allargarsi conjugates reflexively (mi allargo, ti allargi, si allarga, ci allargiamo, vi allargate, si allargano).

Usage and nuance

Allargare is commonly used for physical widening (allargare una carreggiata, una porta, una finestra) and for expanding non-physical domains (allargare la base di consenso, allargare i confini di un progetto, allargarsi a nuove opportunità). It is often preferred when the emphasis is on increasing width or scope, as opposed to ingrandire (general magnification) or ampliare (broader or more formal extension). In practical speech, allargare and allargarsi appear across technical, political, and everyday contexts.

See also

Synonyms include ingrandire, ampliare, espandere. Related expressions include allargarsi a nuove prospettive and allargare la cerchia.