widespread

adjective

wide·​spread ˈwīd-ˈspred How to pronounce widespread (audio)
Synonyms of widespread
1
: widely diffused or prevalent
widespread public interest
2
: widely extended or spread out
… low, widespread hood and fenders …—Time
a widespread erosion surface—C. B. Hitchcock

Synonyms of widespread

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Examples 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
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 number of empty seats in the conference hall this week will help observers gauge how widespread Xi's purges have been. — Kanis Leung, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026 There’s simply no evidence of widespread voter cheating anywhere. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Rain looks to become more widespread during the second half of the week, the weather service said, with temperatures warming to around 80 degrees on Thursday before cooling into the low 70s by the weekend. — Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 Similar disruptions have spread steadily across Bangladesh’s industrial zones since August, driven by sudden factory shutdowns, widespread layoffs and employers’ failure to pay wages and other dues. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for widespread

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of widespread was in the 15th century

Rhymes for widespread

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Browse Nearby Words

wide-screen
widespread
wide-spreading
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

widespread

adjective
wide·​spread ˈwīd-ˈspred How to pronounce widespread (audio)
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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