واسع

واسع

Arabic

Etymology

Derived from the active participle of وَسُعَ‎ (wasuʿa, “to be wide”) and وَسِعَ‎ (wasiʿa, “to be wide, to hold, to contain”), from the root و س ع‎ (w-s-ʿ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waː.siʕ/

Adjective

وَاسِع • (wāsiʿ) (feminine وَاسِعَة‎ (wāsiʿa), masculine plural وَاسِعُونَ‎ (wāsiʿūna), feminine plural وَاسِعَات‎ (wāsiʿāt), elative أَوْسَع‎ (ʾawsaʿ))

1. large in area, extensive, vast; broad; wide; open
   1. spacious, roomy

      Synonyms: شَاسِع‎ (šāsiʿ), فَسِيح‎ (fasīḥ)

      • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:97:

        ‏قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا‎

        qālū ʾalam takun ʾarḍu l-lahi wāsiʿatan fatuhājirū fīhā

        (please add an English translation of this quote)

   2. (of clothes) loose, oversized
   3. (of a person's perspective, attitude, or mind) open, broad
   4. (of a person's learning) extensive, deep
2. expansive; comprehensive, inclusive
3. (of a matter, issue, topic, or the like) open, up for discussion, discussable, undetermined
   1. (when referring to issues relating to laws, rules, regulations, and the like) debateable, not fixed
4. (rare, approving) not strict; not harsh; forgiving

   Synonym: سَمِح‎ (samiḥ)

5. (rare) generous, liberal

   Synonyms: جَوَاد‎ (jawād), مِعْطَاء‎ (miʿṭāʾ)

Usage notes

Strictly speaking, the word generally signifies extensiveness, vastness, and spaciousness, as well as openness, not the extent from side to side, which is denoted by عَرِيض‎ (ʿarīḍ) instead.

1. ‏اَلْغُرَفُ وَاسِعَةٌ‎ ― al-ḡurafu wāsiʿatun ― The rooms are large.
2. ‏الأَرْضُ الْوَاسِعَةُ‎ ― al-ʾarḍu l-wāsiʿatu ― the open land
3. ‏سَاحَةٌ وَاسِعَةُ‎ ― sāḥatun wāsiʿatu ― an expansive area

Due to the overlap between their semantic fields, however, the two are sometimes interchangeable, and there are instances where وَاسِع‎ (wāsiʿ) is preferred and more idiomatic, especially when the wideness of the referent is convenient or desirable.

1. ‏طَرِيقٌ وَاسِعٌ‎ ― ṭarīqun wāsiʿun ― a wide road
2. ‏مَمَرٌّ وَاسِعٌ‎ ― mamarrun wāsiʿun ― a wide corridor

A like connection between narrowness and inconvenience (or frustration) is implied by its antonym ضَيِّق‎ (ḍayyiq). Compare loose and tight.

Declension

Declension of adjective وَاسِع (wāsiʿ)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	وَاسِع wāsiʿ	الْوَاسِع‎ al-wāsiʿ	وَاسِعَة‎ wāsiʿa	الْوَاسِعَة‎ al-wāsiʿa
Nominative	وَاسِعٌ wāsiʿun	الْوَاسِعُ‎ al-wāsiʿu	وَاسِعَةٌ‎ wāsiʿatun	الْوَاسِعَةُ‎ al-wāsiʿatu
Accusative	وَاسِعًا‎ wāsiʿan	الْوَاسِعَ‎ al-wāsiʿa	وَاسِعَةً‎ wāsiʿatan	الْوَاسِعَةَ‎ al-wāsiʿata
Genitive	وَاسِعٍ wāsiʿin	الْوَاسِعِ‎ al-wāsiʿi	وَاسِعَةٍ‎ wāsiʿatin	الْوَاسِعَةِ‎ al-wāsiʿati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	وَاسِعَيْن‎ wāsiʿayn	الْوَاسِعَيْن‎ al-wāsiʿayn	وَاسِعَتَيْن‎ wāsiʿatayn	الْوَاسِعَتَيْن‎ al-wāsiʿatayn
Nominative	وَاسِعَانِ‎ wāsiʿāni	الْوَاسِعَانِ‎ al-wāsiʿāni	وَاسِعَتَانِ‎ wāsiʿatāni	الْوَاسِعَتَانِ‎ al-wāsiʿatāni
Accusative	وَاسِعَيْنِ‎ wāsiʿayni	الْوَاسِعَيْنِ‎ al-wāsiʿayni	وَاسِعَتَيْنِ‎ wāsiʿatayni	الْوَاسِعَتَيْنِ‎ al-wāsiʿatayni
Genitive	وَاسِعَيْنِ‎ wāsiʿayni	الْوَاسِعَيْنِ‎ al-wāsiʿayni	وَاسِعَتَيْنِ‎ wāsiʿatayni	الْوَاسِعَتَيْنِ‎ al-wāsiʿatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural		sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	وَاسِعِين‎ wāsiʿīn	الْوَاسِعِين‎ al-wāsiʿīn	وَاسِعَات‎ wāsiʿāt	الْوَاسِعَات‎ al-wāsiʿāt
Nominative	وَاسِعُونَ‎ wāsiʿūna	الْوَاسِعُونَ‎ al-wāsiʿūna	وَاسِعَاتٌ‎ wāsiʿātun	الْوَاسِعَاتُ‎ al-wāsiʿātu
Accusative	وَاسِعِينَ‎ wāsiʿīna	الْوَاسِعِينَ‎ al-wāsiʿīna	وَاسِعَاتٍ‎ wāsiʿātin	الْوَاسِعَاتِ‎ al-wāsiʿāti
Genitive	وَاسِعِينَ‎ wāsiʿīna	الْوَاسِعِينَ‎ al-wāsiʿīna	وَاسِعَاتٍ‎ wāsiʿātin	الْوَاسِعَاتِ‎ al-wāsiʿāti

Antonyms

• ضَيِّق‎ (ḍayyiq)

Descendants

• Maltese: wiesa'
• Moroccan Arabic: واسع‎ (wāsaʕ)

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “واسع”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎, London: W.H. Allen

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Moroccan Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic وَاسِع‎ (wāsiʿ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waːsaʕ/

Adjective

واسع • (wāsaʕ) (feminine واسعة‎ (wāsʕa), common plural وساع‎ (wsāʕ), masculine plural واسعين‎ (wāsʕīn), feminine plural واسعات‎ (wāsʕāt), elative أوسع‎ (ʔawsaʕ) or وسع‎ (wsaʕ))

1. wide

   Antonym: ضيق‎ (ḍiyyaq)

Descendants

• → Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵡⵙⵄ (wsɛ)

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South Levantine Arabic

Root
و س ع‎

Etymology

From Arabic وَاسِع‎ (wāsiʿ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waː.siʕ/, [ˈwæː.sɪʕ]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Adjective

واسع • (wāseʕ) (feminine واسعة‎ (wāsʕa), common plural واسعين‎ (wāsʕīn), elative أوسع‎ (ʔawsaʕ))

1. wide, spacious

   Antonym: ضيّق‎ (ḍiyyeʔ)

See also

• عريض‎ (ʕarīḍ, “wide, broad”)

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Urdu

Etymology

From Arabic وَاسِع‎ (wāsiʿ).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʋɑː.seːʔ/

Adjective

واسِع • (vāseʿ) m (Hindi spelling वासि)

1. capacious, wide, roomy
2. ample

References

• “واسع”, in اُردُو لُغَت (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “واسع”, in Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2023.