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
Having heard widespread praise for Marsh around the league, Cardoso was sold by the end of her first phone call with her new coach.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
With the potential to revolutionize numerous areas of life, these machines are poised to attract widespread attention from investors, corporations, governments and consumers.
—Anton Alikov, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The impacts are widespread and pervasive; in major cities like Madrid, trains are not running, airports are unable to operate, and businesses and schools have closed.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2025
But amid widespread criticism of America’s failure to protect Iraq’s cultural property — and realizing a need for experts to track down the items, or to be deployed overseas in future looting incidents — the bureau established a specialist art team the following year.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
With the potential to revolutionize numerous areas of life, these machines are poised to attract widespread attention from investors, corporations, governments and consumers.
—Anton Alikov, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The impacts are widespread and pervasive; in major cities like Madrid, trains are not running, airports are unable to operate, and businesses and schools have closed.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2025
But amid widespread criticism of America’s failure to protect Iraq’s cultural property — and realizing a need for experts to track down the items, or to be deployed overseas in future looting incidents — the bureau established a specialist art team the following year.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 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 3 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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