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
Timea widespread erosion surface—C. B. Hitchcock
C. B. HitchcockExamples 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
Dean Reynolds, a former Clinton Township trustee, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison in February 2019 in a widespread corruption probe.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The crisis that unfolded in the state, which saw both insurers and policyholders struggling, was due as much to the growing threat posed by more frequent and more severe natural disasters as to excessive litigation and widespread fraud in Florida's insurance market.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
This latest winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time to boost the morale of southeastern Wisconsin residents following recent massive rain storms that triggered widespread flooding and millions in damage over a four county area.
—Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Unlike most mainstream economists, including those at the Fed, Miran believes that Trump’s widespread tariffs on US trading partners won’t stoke inflation — a view that suggests the Fed should have already cut interest rates this year, as Trump has loudly demanded for months.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Christina Hall, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The crisis that unfolded in the state, which saw both insurers and policyholders struggling, was due as much to the growing threat posed by more frequent and more severe natural disasters as to excessive litigation and widespread fraud in Florida's insurance market.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
This latest winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time to boost the morale of southeastern Wisconsin residents following recent massive rain storms that triggered widespread flooding and millions in damage over a four county area.
—Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Unlike most mainstream economists, including those at the Fed, Miran believes that Trump’s widespread tariffs on US trading partners won’t stoke inflation — a view that suggests the Fed should have already cut interest rates this year, as Trump has loudly demanded for months.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
Cite this Entry
“Widespread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widespread. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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