Tuesday, May 17, 2016

meaning - Take Broad/Wide View of


I have a question about the usage of the phrases "take a broad view of something" and "take a wide view of something". Should they be interpreted to mean:



A.--consider the general aspects, rather than specific aspects, of something



, or:




B.--include a great variety of things when considering something



Keeping in mind the interchangeability of "broad" and "wide".


Definition 3 for "broad" in this dictionary:



def 3: including a great variety of people or things



with this example usage:




She took a broad view of the duties of being a teacher.



, which favors interpretation B.


But definition 3 for "wide" in this dictionary:



def 3: concerning the basic aspects of something rather than the details



, with this example usage:



Senior managers are expected to take a wider view of problems.




which favors the interpretation A.


So, if I write:



He took a broad/wide view of the economy.



, does it mean he only looked at the general aspects of the economy, or that he included a lot of other stuff when thinking about the economy?




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