1
: over or through a wide area
has traveled widely
2
: to a great extent
departed widely from the previous edition
3
: by or among a large well-dispersed group of people
a widely known political figure
4
: over a broad range
persons with widely fluctuating incomes—
Current Biography
Current BiographyExamples of widely in a Sentence
Their products are widely available.
a widely known political figure
The books are widely read by adults as well as children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chinese languages, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, and French are also widely used.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The takeover remains widely unpopular among Washington residents – some 80% oppose it, according to a Washington Post poll.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Pediatricians widely recommend exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life, but many parents can’t, for a range of medical, economic, and personal reasons—not least that feeding and pumping are incredibly time-consuming.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
On the other end of the spectrum, Peru is widely seen as having extremely weak institutions and is ranked 78th in The Economist’s democracy index.
—Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
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Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The takeover remains widely unpopular among Washington residents – some 80% oppose it, according to a Washington Post poll.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Pediatricians widely recommend exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life, but many parents can’t, for a range of medical, economic, and personal reasons—not least that feeding and pumping are incredibly time-consuming.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
On the other end of the spectrum, Peru is widely seen as having extremely weak institutions and is ranked 78th in The Economist’s democracy index.
—Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widely
Cite this Entry
“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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