nationwide
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of nationwide
Explanation
Something nationwide refers to or covers the whole country. A nationwide shortage of wheat would affect everyone in every single state. A gossipy news story about a presidential candidate might cause a nationwide scandal, if everyone in the whole country were talking about it. And if a drought seemed to be spreading nationwide, farmers from Maine to California would start to worry about that year's crops. Nationwide combines nation, from the Latin nationem, "origin" or "race of people," and wide, from its "extending through the whole of" meaning.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are now around 3,000 nationwide, and in Dryandra numbers have increased ten-fold.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
In a recent earnings call, Charter Chief Executive Chris Winfrey told investors the combined company would have nearly 37 million customers nationwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The CJP has said it will organise a "nationwide listening tour" to hear the concerns of young Indians, while continuing to back protests over exam irregularities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
At the time, the Biden administration was holding more than 26,000 detainees nationwide at more than 120 sites.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
After the shooting of Fannie Sellins, unions across the country used her martyrdom to rally workers in the first nationwide steel strike on September 22, 1919.
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
