widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē How to pronounce widely (audio)
1
: over or through a wide area
has traveled widely
2
: to a great extent
departed widely from the previous edition
3
: by or among a large well-dispersed group of people
a widely known political figure
4
: over a broad range
persons with widely fluctuating incomesCurrent Biography

Examples of widely in a Sentence

Their products are widely available. a widely known political figure The books are widely read by adults as well as children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His comments were widely seen as directed at Great Britain and France, which have pledged to commit forces to such an effort. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025 Ramírez’s death was widely reported, and the family’s lawyers pushed for an independent investigation. Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025 Historians widely view the event as genocide, although Turkey rejects the notion. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025 This week also saw posts in Canada and across Europe that demanded orders be canceled for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the fifth-generation stealth fighter that has been widely adopted by most NATO members. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for widely

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of widely was in 1579

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Cite this Entry

“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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