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 this time, the debate is not about the widespread push for cell phone bans that have dominated recent legislative sessions and school policies. — Erin Mote, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

The attacks have significantly hampered Russia’s refining capacity and prompted widespread fuel shortages, with Moscow recently extending a ban on diesel exports through the end of September as part of a push to stabilize domestic supplies. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Engineers who separately examined the building’s exterior supposedly found widespread corrosion in structural components of the soffit panels along the underside of an overhang that wraps around the center. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

The case has attracted widespread attention because the nature of Fortune’s death recalled lynchings in the Southern state, which has a tumultuous civil rights history stained by episodes of racial violence. — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 14 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