widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē 

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

The product, widely used in electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones, also stores the data that AI models need. — Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

The rates at which immigration judges grant protection to immigrants seeking asylum vary widely, for instance; New York City courts have some of the highest approval rates, while courts in Houston have among the lowest. — Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026

The camp drew considerable attention after a haunting photo showing 19 of its canoes under water was widely seen online. — Ava Berger, NPR, 26 July 2026

The northernmost region in Burgundy, Chablis is home not just to the world’s most popular white grape but to what is widely considered among the finest Chardonnay on the planet. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing widely

• widely believed
• widely distributed

Rhymes for widely

• impliedly
• idly
• unqualifiedly