Meaning & use
broad-minded
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Willing to accept and respect ideas, beliefs, or behavior that are different from your own.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun or after a linking verb: a broad-minded teacher; She is very broad-minded.
Patterns
- broad-minded about something
- a broad-minded person/attitude
My grandparents are surprisingly broad-minded about modern music.
The school has a broad-minded policy on dress and hairstyles.
She's broad-minded enough to listen to opinions she disagrees with.
Word forms
| comparative | more broad-minded |
|---|---|
| superlative | most broad-minded |
Common combinations
- broad-minded attitude
- The company takes a broad-minded attitude toward remote work.
- broad-minded about
- He's very broad-minded about other people's religious beliefs.
- broad-minded person
- You need to be a broad-minded person to enjoy living abroad.
- surprisingly broad-minded
- For a small town, it's surprisingly broad-minded.
Synonyms and how they differ
- open-minded
- Very close in meaning, but open-minded often emphasizes being ready to consider new ideas, while broad-minded emphasizes accepting many different lifestyles and beliefs.
- tolerant
- Tolerant focuses on putting up with things you may not like; broad-minded suggests genuine interest and respect, not just patience.
- liberal
- Liberal can describe political views and is often used in a disapproving way by opponents; broad-minded is generally positive and not political.
Opposites
Word family
- broad-mindedly adverb
- In a way that shows you accept different ideas: She listened broad-mindedly.
- broad-mindedness noun
- The quality of accepting different ideas and behavior.
Commonly confused: broad-minded or open-minded?
broad-minded vs open-minded
Both are positive, but open-minded is about being willing to try or consider new things, while broad-minded is about accepting people whose beliefs or lives differ from yours.
Practice
Which sentence uses broad-minded correctly?
Choose one answer.
Broad-minded is followed by 'about' when you mention the topic: broad-minded about trying new foods. The other options use the wrong preposition or pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “broad-minded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.