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
Another issue grabbing national attention is rising numbers of foreign residents and visitors, which has fueled widespread anti-foreigner sentiment that sometimes turns outright xenophobic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Season two saw Cherish cast in an HBO project about the sitcom writer who made her life hell in season one, earning widespread acclaim professionally even as her personal life was falling apart.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The debate over trans gun ownership is especially complicated in the context of the larger push by progressives for widespread gun control.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
The company opened a flurry of Fresh locations by 2022, but the expansion plans ran into CEO Andy Jassy's widespread cost-cutting efforts as the company reckoned with the impact of rising interest rates and soaring inflation.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Season two saw Cherish cast in an HBO project about the sitcom writer who made her life hell in season one, earning widespread acclaim professionally even as her personal life was falling apart.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The debate over trans gun ownership is especially complicated in the context of the larger push by progressives for widespread gun control.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
The company opened a flurry of Fresh locations by 2022, but the expansion plans ran into CEO Andy Jassy's widespread cost-cutting efforts as the company reckoned with the impact of rising interest rates and soaring inflation.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 3 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 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
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