widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē 

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

Examples 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

He is widely viewed as a loyal enforcer of the regime, combining ideological militancy with control over security and logistics. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026

One photo purporting to show Maduro after his capture was shared widely, including by the mayor of Coral Gables Florida, Vince Lago, and in a joint Instagram post by two popular conservative content accounts with over 6 million combined followers. —CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026

It was widely rumored that the space technology company had plans to go public in 2026 and Musk confirmed the reports last month . —Tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026

Long, swaying motion was widely reported, with additional aftershocks continuing through late morning. —Anthony Trotter, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing widely

• widely believed
• widely distributed

Rhymes for widely

• impliedly
• idly
• unqualifiedly