Broad-gauge

Open-minded and willing to consider a wide range of interests or ideas.

Reach for it when praising generous breadth in judgment or policy

Her broad-gauge leadership invited evidence from every department.

• everyday

  open-minded

  willingness to reconsider views is the simple point

  not when Open-minded may concern one question rather than a consistently broad outlook.

• warm

  broad-minded

  openness toward unfamiliar beliefs or ways of life is central

  not when Broad-minded focuses tolerance more than range of policy judgment.

• professional

  comprehensive

  many relevant factors are included in analysis or policy

  not when Comprehensive describes coverage, not personal receptiveness.

• professional

  liberal

  openness and generosity in attitude fit the intended tradition

  not when Liberal carries strong political meanings that can eclipse the praise.

• formal

  expansive

  scope and imagination extend across a wide field

  not when Expansive can describe size or an overly talkative mood.

• formal

  far-reaching

  effects or scope extend well beyond the immediate issue

  not when Far-reaching does not imply openness or fair consideration.

• narrow-minded
• parochial
• blinkered

• broad-gauge outlook

  A broad-gauge outlook helped the board connect health with transport.

• broad-gauge policy

  The broad-gauge policy considered tenants, owners, and future residents.

• broad-gauge leader

  A broad-gauge leader can hold a clear principle without narrowing the evidence.

Broad-gauge is uncommon in this figurative sense and may be confused with railway track width.

• Wiktionary, English adjective figurative sense: broad-minded ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.