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.
The insights generated from these technologies can give farmers more time to isolate and treat sick animals before diseases spread widely. — Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 Kim Yo Jong, widely viewed as the second most powerful official in Pyongyang, made the statement after visiting frontline areas where soldiers are reinforcing the border. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 Move Insoles, the company Lillard co-founded with longtime athlete marketer Nate Jones, has already been widely adopted by athletes across multiple sports. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 Security patches for the PHP programming language, widely used to build websites and web apps, have rolled out today, with the goal of fixing two critical vulnerabilities that could wreak havoc on the internet if left unchecked. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 Oct. 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

Phrases Containing widely

Rhymes for widely

See All Rhymes for widely

Browse Nearby Words

wide gage
widely
widely believed
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Cite this Entry

“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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