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
Emergency service crews arrived at the scene immediately and began widespread search efforts.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 May 2025
As president, Trump has been a vocal critic of the Postal Service's finances since his first administration, when USPS also became entangled in his unfounded claims of widespread fraud involving mail-in voting.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 9 May 2025
The widespread tariffs threaten to raise costs for US consumers and upend operations for American businesses, just as AI is already expected to shake up the job market and economy.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
In the age of streaming, there’s a widespread belief that every movie is available, all the time, everywhere.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 May 2025
As president, Trump has been a vocal critic of the Postal Service's finances since his first administration, when USPS also became entangled in his unfounded claims of widespread fraud involving mail-in voting.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 9 May 2025
The widespread tariffs threaten to raise costs for US consumers and upend operations for American businesses, just as AI is already expected to shake up the job market and economy.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
In the age of streaming, there’s a widespread belief that every movie is available, all the time, everywhere.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 May 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 24 May. 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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