once broader

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "once broader" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or condition that was previously more extensive or inclusive than it is now. Example: "The river was once broader, allowing for larger boats to navigate its waters."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Unless someone is engaging in total fraud– in which case, their VCs are in a lot more trouble than secondary buyers would be– it's hard to imagine these companies are worthless as investments, and it's hard to imagine the market values would plummet too far once broader markets were able to invest.

TechCrunch

This raises the possibility that early events, reflected by the appearance of these enhancer-associated acetylation and methylation marks, play an important role in keeping these regions active once broader domains of inactivity are established.

eLife

Broadly defined as Khoesan, contemporary Khoesan are today largely restricted to the semidesert regions of Namibia and Botswana, whereas archeological, historical, and genetic evidence promotes a once broader southerly dispersal of click-speaking peoples including southward migrating pastoralists and indigenous marine-foragers.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Time has lost its focus on that once broad shoulder and the butterfly is now hazily fading out of view.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Once Broad had survived the final over from Narine, by the skin of his teeth, England were all but there.

The Guardian - Sport

The book trade has witnessed, with barely suppressed glee, the once broad challenge presented to it by CD-ROMs shrink to a narrow front.

The Economist

His reach, once broad enough to incorporate the Upanishads, shrank to extend no farther than the neighborhood sacristy, & to a still smaller place the closet of the self.

The New Yorker

Yet it's also artful, at once broad and intimate, and carries such power that it almost makes a suspicious reader forget his accumulated list of suspicions.

The New Yorker

You can barely make out an expression on his face, although the shape of it — at once broad and acute, like Baudelaire's — is plain to see, and the hair falls in the lick of a leading man.

The New Yorker

And the once broad-shouldered man now spent his days hunched in a wheelchair, surrounded by fast-food containers, overflowing ashtrays and plastic bags filled with his own urine.

The New York Times

The American shift toward a more peripheral role in peace efforts represents another retreat from Washington's once broad designs for Afghanistan, where the surge, along with a sharp escalation of nighttime raids by Special Operations Forces against Taliban field commanders, were partly aimed at forcing the Taliban into negotiations, making a Western withdrawal more feasible.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "once broader" to effectively convey that something has diminished in scope, influence, or application over time. This phrase is useful for describing historical trends, changes in market dynamics, or shifts in cultural norms.

Common error

Avoid using "once broader" when you simply mean something is currently broad. The phrase specifically implies a change over time, not a static condition. If there's no implication that the breadth has diminished, opt for "broad" or "wide-ranging" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "once broader" functions as an adjectival modifier, indicating that something previously possessed a greater scope, range, or extent. It describes a state that has changed over time, as confirmed by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "once broader" is a grammatically correct and usable English expression used to describe something that was previously more extensive or inclusive. While not extremely common, Ludwig provides several examples from reputable sources in news, media, and science confirming its proper usage. It is important to use this phrase when specifically referring to a change over time and avoid it when describing a current state. Similar phrases, such as "formerly wider" or "previously more expansive", can be used as alternatives to add variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

formerly wider

Replaces "once" with "formerly", emphasizing the past nature of the broader state and "broader" with "wider", focusing on physical dimension or scope.

previously more expansive

Substitutes "once" with "previously", and "broader" with "more expansive", highlighting a reduction in extent or range.

used to be more comprehensive

Rephrases the entire phrase to focus on comprehensiveness rather than breadth, implying a previous state of greater inclusivity.

was formerly more extensive

Similar to "formerly wider" but uses "extensive" instead, referring to a wide scope or range.

formerly more extensive

Similar to "was formerly more extensive", using "formerly" to emphasize the past nature of the wider extent.

once more encompassing

Focuses on the encompassing aspect, suggesting that something used to cover or include more.

at one time, wider

Emphasizes that at a past time, something was wider in scope.

previously greater in scope

Highlights a previous state with a wider range or understanding

in the past, it was larger

Simplifies the phrase to express the idea of something being bigger in the past, losing some of the nuance of "broader".

earlier, more inclusive

Focuses on the aspect of inclusivity, suggesting that something was more encompassing at an earlier time.

FAQs

How can I use "once broader" in a sentence?

You can use "once broader" to describe something that used to be more extensive than it is now. For example: "The company's product line was "once broader", but has since narrowed to focus on its core offerings."

What phrases are similar to "once broader"?

Similar phrases include "formerly wider", "previously more expansive", or "used to be more comprehensive", depending on the specific context you wish to convey.

Is it always necessary to include a specific timeframe when using "once broader"?

While not always necessary, providing context about when the subject was "once broader" enhances clarity. For example, instead of saying "Social media's influence was "once broader"", you could say "Social media's influence was "once broader", particularly in the early 2010s."

What's the difference between "once broader" and "still broad"?

"Once broader" implies a reduction in scope or influence over time, while "still broad" suggests that something continues to have a wide extent or range. The former is dynamic, the latter is static.