Having a greater distance from one side to the other; more broad or expansive than something else.
From Old English 'wīd' meaning spacious or broad, with the comparative suffix '-er' added. The root connects to Proto-Germanic 'wītaz,' describing physical extent or openness.
The word 'wider' reveals how comparative adjectives in English often come from Germanic roots, and interestingly, 'wide' originally described not just physical space but also mental openness—which is why we still say someone has a 'wide perspective.'
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