the act of cleaning with a broom
"She spent an hour sweeping the fallen leaves from the porch before it rained."
An instance of sweeping.
"The janitor performed a thorough sweeping to remove all the dirt from the floor."
present participle of sweep
"The wind blew across the empty lot, causing dust to rise and swirl in a wide arc before settling on the ground."
In plain English: To sweep something means to push it away quickly with your hand, arm, or another object.
"Please sweep the floor before guests arrive."
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
"a sweeping glance"
"a wide-sweeping view of the river"
wide, broad, affecting or touching upon many things
"The lecture offered a sweeping overview of modern art history that touched on movements from every continent."
In plain English: Sweeping means covering a very large area completely and quickly, often with broad gestures or statements that leave nothing out.
"The sweeping change in government policy surprised many voters."
Usage: Use this adjective to describe grand gestures or comprehensive changes rather than literal physical movements. Avoid confusing it with the verb form when you intend to convey a specific scope of influence instead of an action.
The word sweeping is formed by adding the suffix "-ing" to the verb sweep. This construction indicates that someone or something is currently performing the action of moving across an area quickly and thoroughly.