full-width
UK[ˌfʊl ˈwɪdθ]US[ˌfʊl ˈwɪdθ]
adj
(of a character, especially in digital typography) occupying the same horizontal space as two standard alphanumeric characters.
adj
(of a layout, image, or element) extending across the entire available horizontal space.
Morpheme Breakdown
full
width
full
complete
width
measurement
Etymology
The compound "full-width" is a modern English formation from two native Germanic elements. "Full" derives from the Proto-Germanic fullaz, meaning "full," which has a stable history in English denoting completeness. "Width" originates from the Old English adjective wīd ("wide") combined with the abstract noun suffix -þu, creating a term for the quality or measurement of breadth. In contemporary digital and design contexts, the term's literal logic—"complete breadth"—is applied technically to describe characters that occupy a space equivalent to two standard characters (like those in East Asian character sets) or design elements that span an entire container.
Analysis
Structure: full (complete) + width (measurement)
- full: From Old English full, meaning "complete, entire, abundant." It functions as an adjective modifying the noun that follows.
- width: From Old English wīdu + the noun-forming suffix -þu (-th), meaning "the measurement or extent of something from side to side." It functions as the head noun in this compound.
Examples
The website's hero image is displayed in full-width format.
When typing in Japanese, you can switch between half-width and full-width characters.
For better readability on mobile, the article uses a full-width layout.