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.
The battle is widely seen as securing Venezuela's independence and marking a turning point in South America's broader independence movement. Will Clark, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, a move widely condemned by the international community, after the Maidan protests ousted Ukraine’s then pro-Kremlin president, Viktor Yanukovych. Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 In a previous life, the wooden crate had been used by artist Robert Rauschenberg, widely regarded as the father of assemblage art in the United States, to house and transport his paintings before Basquiat incorporated it into his own work. Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 But if Universal’s decision to skip such screenings for The Odyssey gets enough attention, other studios could more frequently adopt the move as a confident flex — while studios who opt for such preview screenings might start to be more widely seen as trying to hide the ball. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 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 3 Jul. 2026.

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