ubiquitous

adjective

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ubiq·ui·tous | \ yü-ˈbi-kwə-təs

Definition of ubiquitous

: existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread a ubiquitous fashion

Other Words from ubiquitous Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about ubiquitous

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Did You Know?

Ubiquitous comes to us from the noun ubiquity, meaning "presence everywhere or in many places simultaneously." Ubiquity first appeared in print in the late 16th century, but ubiquitous didn't make an appearance until 1830. (Another noun form, ubiquitousness, arrived around 1874.) Both words are ultimately derived from the Latin word for "everywhere," which is ubique. Ubiquitous, which has often been used with a touch of exaggeration for things and people that seem to turn up everywhere, has become a more widespread and popular word than ubiquity. It may not quite be ubiquitous, but if you keep your eyes and ears open, you're apt to encounter the word ubiquitous quite a bit.

Examples of ubiquitous in a Sentence

Hot dogs are the ideal road trip food—inexpensive, portable, ubiquitous. — Paul Lucas, Saveur, June/July 2008 Shawarma is the new street meat. Both a late night favourite and a quick lunch classic, the Middle Eastern dish is now ubiquitous on the streets of Toronto. — Chris Dart, Torontoist, 8 Feb. 2007 In major league locker rooms, ice packs are ubiquitous appendages for pitchers, who wrap their shoulder or elbow or both, the better to calm muscles, ligaments and tendons that have been stressed by the unnatural act of throwing a baseball. — Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 26 Mar. 2007 It was before the day of the ubiquitous automobile. Given one of those present adjuncts to farm life, John would have ended his career much earlier. As it was, they found him lying by the roadside at dawn one morning after the horses had trotted into the yard with the wreck of the buggy bumping the road behind them. — Edna Ferber, "Farmer in the Dell," 1919, in One Basket, 1949 The company's advertisements are ubiquitous. by that time cell phones had become ubiquitous, and people had long ceased to be impressed by the sight of one

Recent Examples on the Web Throughout 2020 -- in both the U.S. and South Korea -- throwback sounds were ubiquitous. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2020: Staff List," 23 Dec. 2020 In many Chicago-area neighborhoods and suburbs, yew shrubs are ubiquitous. — Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, "Yew shrubs, hardy and attractive, are the stuff of ancient legends and a great addition to Midwest yards," 19 Dec. 2020 The structures weren’t ubiquitous but were almost always allowed. — Michael Smolens Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Love for added backyard homes rises above larger housing disputes," 18 Dec. 2020 Trump signs were ubiquitous, and the merchandisers outside were selling only Trump gear. — New York Times, "At Rally for Georgia Senators, Trump Focuses on His Own Grievances," 5 Dec. 2020 Again flags and signs were ubiquitous, even weeks after the vote. — Haisten Willis, Washington Post, "In neighboring Georgia counties, election revealed a growing divide that mirrors the nation," 30 Nov. 2020 India's polio vaccination program is ubiquitous -- covering more than 90% of children by this year, according to Gagandeep Kang of the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory at the Christian Medical College in Vellore. — Tim Lister, CNN, "The world's now scrambling for dry ice. It's just one headache in getting coronavirus vaccines where they need to go," 21 Nov. 2020 Just like the evolution of personal computers, what early hobbyists tinkered with would eventually be ubiquitous. — Steven Levy, Wired, "Social Media’s Dance With Donald Trump Is Getting Clumsier," 6 Nov. 2020 Masks and hand sanitizer were ubiquitous, of course, as was grousing about masks. — Usha Lee Mcfarling, STAT, "Ubiquitous hand sanitizers and grousing about masks: Snapshots from around the nation of voting in a pandemic," 3 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ubiquitous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.