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
The bear with an affinity for Johnson's crawl space first started visiting his home in February, shortly after the widespread wildfires in Los Angeles were brought under control earlier this year.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
So when Vidalia Mills in Louisiana shut its doors earlier this year—a move few in the industry found surprising—the conversation quickly shifted to the fate of its 45 historic Draper X3 shuttle looms, a subject that captured widespread intrigue.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 2025
Several other African leaders, particularly in countries with less stringent data protection laws, are unlikely to face meaningful pushback despite widespread criticism of the agreements from across the continent.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The party attracted a wide swath of rural voters, had national functioning institutions and a widespread grassroots presence.
—Yonatan Morse, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
So when Vidalia Mills in Louisiana shut its doors earlier this year—a move few in the industry found surprising—the conversation quickly shifted to the fate of its 45 historic Draper X3 shuttle looms, a subject that captured widespread intrigue.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 2025
Several other African leaders, particularly in countries with less stringent data protection laws, are unlikely to face meaningful pushback despite widespread criticism of the agreements from across the continent.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The party attracted a wide swath of rural voters, had national functioning institutions and a widespread grassroots presence.
—Yonatan Morse, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 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 27 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share