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
Trump administration officials are promising to double down on their immigration enforcement strategy despite widespread protests.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Videos of the incident have sparked widespread emotion and anger.
—Briseida Holguin, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
During this period, the oil industry was nationalized and a series of constitutional reforms led to the elimination of checks and balances and widespread repression of any opposition voices.
—Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Guerrero seized on the widespread corruption within the prison to expand on his up-and-coming gang – Tren de Aragua, now designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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.
Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Videos of the incident have sparked widespread emotion and anger.
—Briseida Holguin, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
During this period, the oil industry was nationalized and a series of constitutional reforms led to the elimination of checks and balances and widespread repression of any opposition voices.
—Flora Charner, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Guerrero seized on the widespread corruption within the prison to expand on his up-and-coming gang – Tren de Aragua, now designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widespread
Cite this Entry
“Widespread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widespread. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share