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
It was originally designed to stand for at least 100 years, and is widely considered the largest movable land structure in the world.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Dec. 2025
Virgil Van Dijk, Netherlands defender Virgil Van Dijk, who captains Liverpool, has widely been regarded as the best defender in the world for the last eight years.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
An explosion in Reactor 4 at the nuclear power plant in the then-Soviet Union in April 1986 triggered what is widely considered the world's worst nuclear disaster in history.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Ruggles is one of the region’s most prolific architects and known widely as an advocate of classical design.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Dec. 2025
Virgil Van Dijk, Netherlands defender Virgil Van Dijk, who captains Liverpool, has widely been regarded as the best defender in the world for the last eight years.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Dec. 2025
An explosion in Reactor 4 at the nuclear power plant in the then-Soviet Union in April 1986 triggered what is widely considered the world's worst nuclear disaster in history.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Ruggles is one of the region’s most prolific architects and known widely as an advocate of classical design.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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