widespread
adjective
wide·spread
ˈwīd-ˈspred 
1
: widely diffused or prevalent
widespread public interest
2
: widely extended or spread out
low, widespread hood and fenders—
Time
Timea widespread erosion surface—C. B. Hitchcock
C. B. HitchcockExamples of widespread in a Sentence
There is widespread public interest in the election.
Trade partners had become more widespread.
There was widespread opposition to the plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Immediate and widespread evacuations impacted over 2 million people as coastal towns braced for potential waves.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
With genetic sequencing becoming cheaper and more widespread, discoveries like this may become more common.
—New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
Red and purple mean widespread unhealthy and very unhealthy.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Despite these uncertainties, the authors believe gen AI’s dual role—as a transformative platform and as a method for accelerating invention—bodes well for long-term economic growth if barriers to widespread adoption can be overcome.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
With genetic sequencing becoming cheaper and more widespread, discoveries like this may become more common.
—New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
Red and purple mean widespread unhealthy and very unhealthy.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Despite these uncertainties, the authors believe gen AI’s dual role—as a transformative platform and as a method for accelerating invention—bodes well for long-term economic growth if barriers to widespread adoption can be overcome.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
Cite this Entry
“Widespread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widespread. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
widespread
adjective
wide·spread
ˈwīd-ˈspred
1
: scattered or found over a wide area
widespread interest in the election
2
: spread out over a wide area
widespread wings
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