Widened

Widened is the past participle and an adjective formed from the verb widen. It describes something that has been made wider or broader than its previous state. The term can apply to physical objects, spaces, or openings, as well as to metaphorical extensions such as a widened scope or a widened range.

Etymology and usage notes: The verb widen is formed from the adjective wide with the verb-forming suffix -en, and widened is the regular past tense and past participle ending (-ed). In sentences, widened is used in both predicative and attributive positions, for example: “the corridor was widened” or “a widened doorway.” It is commonly encountered in fields such as construction, architecture, urban planning, and accessibility design.

Contexts and examples: In infrastructure projects, widening programs increase lane counts or shoulder widths to improve capacity and safety. In architecture and interior design, openings like doorways or stairwells may be widened to meet accessibility requirements. The term can also describe non-physical expansions, such as a widened policymaking process or a widened horizon in a person’s outlook.

Relation to related terms: Widened is related to the noun widenings and the noun widening, which refer to processes or instances of increasing width or breadth. While semantically connected, widening as a noun is distinct from the past participle form widened. See also widen, widening, expansion, and broadening.