widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē How to pronounce widely (audio)
Synonyms of widelynext
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 incomes.Current 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.
Mauney, widely seen as the best rider of his generation and someone who braved the hardest bulls to ride, had to retire in 2023 after a neck break on a bull called Arctic Assassin. Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 The standard Keldysh model, widely used to describe excitons in two-dimensional materials, could not fully reproduce the experimental behavior by itself. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 Overpopulation has become such a concern that hunting is widely viewed as one of the primary tools for controlling their numbers. Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 Videos of the incident circulated widely, drawing criticism and outrage over the pet’s death. Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 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 6 Jul. 2026.

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