widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē How to pronounce widely (audio)
Synonyms of widelynext
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
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.
Public interest in the case intensified after the local press widely reported that the father of one of the suspects served as undersecretary for governance and compliance within Rio’s state social development and human rights department. Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 This weapon is rarely discussed publicly and does not appear to have been widely shown before. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026 Geraldine Slattery, head of BHP Group’s Australian business and widely seen as a favored candidate to follow current boss Mike Henry, is in the running for the top job at Woodside Energy Group, according to people familiar with the situation. Angus Whitley, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026 Under his full copper mustache are widely smiling lips. Danielle Parker, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for widely

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of widely was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

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