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

a widespread erosion surface

—C. B. Hitchcock

Synonyms of widespread

• extensive
• broad
• wide
• sweeping
• deep

Examples 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

But beyond the rhetoric, Americans are feeling the cost of the war amid widespread public disapproval for a conflict that reportedly had cost Washington some $40 billion as of July. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Addressing the construction labour shortage Al Khafaji rejected the suggestion that Monumental’s robots will likely cause widespread unemployment among bricklayers. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

District officials are now tasked with choosing between creating direct costs to taxpayers or initiating widespread layoffs. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for widespread

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead

Kids 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