Which statement best describes semantic broadening?

Which statement best describes semantic broadening?

• A. A A word's meaning narrows to a more specific sense
• B. B A word's meaning broadens to cover more referents
• C. C A word changes pronunciation over time
• D. D A word is replaced by a synonym

Answer: (B)

Semantic broadening happens when a word’s range of meaning expands to cover more referents. This is exactly what the statement describes: the meaning grows to include more things. For example, a word that once referred to a single kind of object may come to refer to a broader category (like a term once tied to one item becoming applicable to many). The other ideas describe different language changes—narrowing reduces a word’s scope, pronunciation shifts affect sound, and replacing with a synonym changes the word without broadening its sense.

Semantic broadening happens when a word’s range of meaning expands to cover more referents. This is exactly what the statement describes: the meaning grows to include more things. For example, a word that once referred to a single kind of object may come to refer to a broader category (like a term once tied to one item becoming applicable to many). The other ideas describe different language changes—narrowing reduces a word’s scope, pronunciation shifts affect sound, and replacing with a synonym changes the word without broadening its sense.