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.
Nonetheless there is a tangible fear nationwide given the ominous warning from Ndabandaba, one of the main protesters.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
That marks the first fall since Beijing’s strict Covid shutdowns disrupted activities nationwide, and partly reflects the fading impact of a government program that encouraged households to spend.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Starbucks Korea, with more than 2,000 stores nationwide, found itself embroiled in public uproar last month when it ran a "Tank Day" promotion evoking a deadly military crackdown on a 1980 pro-democracy uprising.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
The brand is expected to roll out nationwide later this year in both ground coffee and K-Cup formats.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
The next morning, it appeared on newspaper front pages nationwide.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
