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

Those hangings were ultimately ruled as suicides, but widespread criticism of the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast last month, has further led to questions about how Fortune died. — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

As Vogue Business reported last year, brands were quick to adjust their playbooks as GLP-1 use became increasingly widespread. — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

The biggest challenge for public health officials trying to contain deadly diseases may not be widespread anti-vaccine sentiment or the influencers and political figures who spread it. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Cofnas penned an exposé last month that documented widespread plagiarism and shoddy scholarship in Arday’s work, a black professor hired by Cambridge University with much fanfare in 2023 to conduct research on race and social injustice. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 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