Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or state of being narrow in width; limited breadth: Refers to having little width or being constricted in physical space.
   • Limited extent, range, or scope: Refers to a restriction in variety, outlook, or focus.
   • A tendency to be rigid or intolerant in opinions or judgments: Refers to a lack of openness or breadth of mind.

Usage Examples

• Physical Width:

  • The narrowness of the mountain path made the hike dangerous.
  • Engineers were concerned about the narrowness of the bridge's lanes.

• Limited Scope or Range:

  • The narrowness of the curriculum failed to address important social issues.
  • Critics pointed out the narrowness of the study's focus, which ignored key variables.

• Intolerance or Rigidity of Mind:

  • His political views were marked by a frustrating narrowness.
  • We must overcome the narrowness that prevents understanding different cultures.

Advanced Usage

• "Narrowness of vision": A limited or short-sighted perspective.
  • The project's failure was due to a management's narrowness of vision.
• "Narrowness of the mind": An intolerance for new or different ideas.
  • Great art often challenges the narrowness of the mind.

Variants and Related Words

• Narrow (adj): Having a small distance from side to side; limited in extent, scope, or amount.
  • The road was too narrow for two cars.
• Narrowly (adv): By only a small margin; in a limited or restricted manner.
  • He narrowly avoided an accident.
• Narrow-minded (adj): Not willing to accept ideas, beliefs, or behaviors that are unusual or different from one's own.
  • It was a narrow-minded policy that excluded many talented people.

Synonyms

• Thinness (for physical width).
• Limitedness, Restriction, Constriction (for scope or range).
• Intolerance, Bigotry, Illiberality (for rigidity of mind).

Antonyms

• Wideness, Broadness (for physical width).
• Breadth, Expansiveness, Comprehensiveness (for scope or range).
• Open-mindedness, Tolerance, Liberality (for rigidity of mind).

Related Phrases

• A narrow escape: An escape that was only just achieved.
  • Surviving the avalanche was a narrow escape.
• In the narrow sense: When considering something in a strict or limited way.
  • In the narrow sense of the law, he was not guilty, but his actions were morally wrong.

Noun

1. a small margin
   • the president was not humbled by his narrow margin of victory
   • the landslide he had in the electoral college obscured the narrowness of a victory based on just 43% of the popular vote
2. a restriction of range or scope
   • the problem with achievement tests is the narrowness they impose on students
   • the attraction of the book is precisely its narrowness of focus
   • frustrated by the narrowness of people's horizons
3. an inclination to criticize opposing opinions or shocking behavior
4. the property of being narrow; having little width
   • the narrowness of the road