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

Rogers posted a clip of El-Sayed's answer on the topic on X, which prompted widespread viral criticism against the Democrat. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Stevens’s endorsement caught Democrats by surprise and led to widespread condemnation from party members. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026

The Central Elections Committee officially dismissed claims of widespread fraud as baseless and said there is no evidentiary basis for alleging a systematic compromise of the vote. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

For one, the experience of remote work is much more widespread than understood, which could have many repercussions, including mental health issues. — Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 2 Nov. 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