Quranic root
وسع
w · s · ʿ
A semantic field opposed to narrowness and difficulty: breadth, spaciousness, sufficiency, capacity, and abundance.
The root develops from physical or spatial breadth to ample circumstances and means, ability or capacity, and the encompassing of things through knowledge, power, mercy, or provision.
- Maqāyīs · row 5106
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- 6
- Quran-attested forms
- 7
- Quran senses
- 32
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
وَسِعَ
wasiʿa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 6 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To encompass, contain, or extend over completely; to embrace something within the scope of knowledge, mercy, power, or another domain.
Used with an object or domain that is fully encompassed; Quranic constructions include encompassing all things in knowledge or mercy and extending over the heavens and the earth.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
Selected Quran examples
مُوسِعٌ
mūsiʿun
- Part of speech
- Active participle · Form IV
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
One possessing ample means; financially able or wealthy.
In the construction عَلَى الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ, it denotes the person whose means permit the specified provision.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- Lane · entry 30487
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:236word 16
“the wealthy”
Making something ample or expansive; providing or extending abundantly.
In the plural predicate of 51:47, it describes an expansive or abundantly providing activity rather than merely possession of wealth.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- Lane · entry 30487
Selected Quran examples
Quran 51:47word 5
“(are) surely (its) Expanders”
سَعَةٌ
saʿahun
- Part of speech
- Verbal noun
- Quran occurrences
- 6 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Abundance, ample means, or a prosperous and unstraitened condition.
In the Quran it chiefly denotes breadth of means or circumstances, especially the financial capacity relevant to provision and support.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- Lane · entry 30490
Selected Quran examples
Quran 24:22word 6
“and the amplitude of means”
Quran 65:7word 3
“(of) ample means”
وَاسِعٌ
wāsiʿun
- Part of speech
- Active participle · Form I
- Quran occurrences
- 9 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Vast, all-encompassing, or ample in scope and capacity; abundant in power, knowledge, mercy, bounty, or related divine attributes.
A predicative active participle whose particular domain of vastness is supplied by context, including encompassing scope, ability, favor, provision, mercy, or forgiveness.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- Lane · entry 30493
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:115word 11
“(is) All-Encompassing”
Quran 24:32word 16
“(is) All-Encompassing”
Quran 53:32word 10
“(is) vast”
وَاسِعَةٌ
wāsiʿahun
- Part of speech
- Active participle · Form I / adjective
- Quran occurrences
- 4 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Spacious, broad, or vast.
Used of a place such as the earth and, in an abstract construction, of a domain such as mercy; the feminine form agrees with the noun it describes.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
Selected Quran examples
وُسْعٌ
wusʿun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 5 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Capacity, ability, or the extent of what one can bear or undertake.
Used in the construction بِوُسْعِهِ or وُسْعَهَا, ‘according to its capacity’; particularly the capacity within which a person or thing is charged or acts.
- Mufradāt · row 1574
- Lane · entry 30490
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:286word 6
“its capacity”
Quran 23:62word 5
“(to) its capacity”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:115وَٰسِعٌ(is) All-Encompassing
- 2:233وُسْعَهَا ۚits capacity
- 2:236ٱلْمُوسِعِthe wealthy
- 2:247سَعَةًۭabundance
- 2:247وَٰسِعٌ(is) All-Encompassing
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 30 Classical meanings
وَسِعَ
To be sufficient in capacity for a thing; of a vessel or place, to hold it or a company.
Used with the thing contained or with the people accommodated.
- Lane · entry 30485
وَسِعَ
To be within someone’s power, proper for them, or allowable for them to do.
Especially in the construction لَا يَسَعُكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ كَذَا, ‘it is not within your power or proper for you to do such a thing.’
- Lane · entry 30485
وَسِعَ
To make someone’s means of subsistence ample.
Used with عَلَى, especially of making a person’s livelihood abundant.
- Lane · entry 30485
وَسَّعَ
To make wide, spacious, roomy, or ample; to make room for someone.
Includes making room for someone in a sitting or standing place and making room mutually among people.
- Lane · entry 30486
وَسَّعَ
To amplify, enlarge, or make plentiful someone’s means of subsistence.
A causative construction contrasted with making livelihood narrow or restricted.
- Lane · entry 30486
أَوْسَعَ
To make a thing, affair, or condition ample or sufficient for someone; to free it from straitness.
May take a thing, an affair, or an abstract object such as mercy as what is made sufficient for the recipient.
- Lane · entry 30487
أَوْسَعَ
To make room or ample space for someone.
Used of making room for a person in a place of standing or sitting.
- Lane · entry 30487
أَوْسَعَ
To enrich someone or render them free from want.
A causative result involving removal of poverty or need.
- Lane · entry 30487
تَوَسَّعَ
To become ample or abundant in one’s circumstances or means of subsistence.
Used particularly of becoming comfortable or plentifully provided in one’s life.
- Lane · entry 30488
تَوَسَّعَ
To take a wide range or to expatiate in an affair or place.
The range may be taken in a matter, in a dwelling or space, or in another field of activity.
- Lane · entry 30488
تَوَسَّعَ
To be profuse or expansive in bounty and munificence.
A figurative use describing breadth or profusion in generosity.
- Lane · entry 30488
تَوَسَّعَ
To expand, spread out, dilate, or widen.
Intransitive use describing something becoming more extended or spacious.
- Lane · entry 30488
تَوَسَّعَ
To extend a word’s signification by using it in a wider range.
A technical usage concerning broadened application of an expression.
- Lane · entry 30488
تَوَسَّعَ
To stride in walking.
A bodily manner of walking associated with taking an expansive step.
- Lane · entry 30488
اِتَّسَعَ
For a state, condition, or life to become free from straitness, ample, or plentiful.
Used of circumstances and means of life becoming unstraitened.
- Lane · entry 30489
اِتَّسَعَ
To widen, expand, dilate, or become distended.
Includes ordinary widening and the specific use of a belly becoming wide or distended.
- Lane · entry 30489
اِتَّسَعَ
To be capable of doing a thing.
Used with لِـ to express capacity for undertaking an affair.
- Lane · entry 30489
اِتِّسَاعٌ
The interior or inner capacity of a well.
A specialized nominal use in the expression اِتِّسَاعُ البِئْرِ.
- Lane · entry 30489
اِتِّسَاعٌ
Extension of the signification of a word or phrase; amplification of its range.
A technical usage concerning semantic extension.
- Lane · entry 30489
سَعَةٌ
Width, breadth, extent, or space from side to side.
A spatial noun describing the amount of room or lateral extent.
- Lane · entry 30490
سَعَةٌ
Ample scope for action; competence, capacity, power, or ability.
Used of the room or ability available for undertaking an action, beyond mere physical width.
- Lane · entry 30490
سَعَةٌ
Breadth of character or liberality of disposition.
The expression سَعَةُ الصَّدْرِ denotes breadth of character or temper.
- Lane · entry 30490
سَعَةٌ
Allowability in ordinary circumstances, apart from poetic necessity.
A conventional usage in the expression فِي السَّعَةِ.
- Lane · entry 30490
وَسَاعٌ
A horse wide in step, or a swift and generous horse.
A specialized description of a horse’s stride or quality.
- Lane · entry 30491
وَاسِعٌ
Having ample means or ample power and ability; powerful.
Used of abundant livelihood or of extensive ability in a person or thing.
- Lane · entry 30493
وَاسِعٌ
Large or liberal in disposition.
A figurative use in descriptions of a broad or generous character.
- Lane · entry 30493
وَاسِعٌ
Wide-stepping in running, especially of a horse.
A specialized description of breadth of stride.
- Lane · entry 30493
أَوْسَعُ
Wider or widest.
The comparative or superlative form of spatial or figurative breadth.
- Lane · entry 30494
مُوَسَّعٌ عَلَيْهِ
Amply or abundantly provided with the means of subsistence.
A passive participial description of someone whose livelihood has been made ample.
- Lane · entry 30495
مُتَّسَعٌ
Width, extent, or ampleness of space or quantity; a place of spaciousness.
A noun denoting an available expanse or spacious place.
- Lane · entry 30496
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The active participle مُوسِعٌ has two Quranic contextual applications: possession of ample means and an expansive or abundantly providing activity.