nationwide

American  

[ney-shuhn-wahyd] / ˈneɪ ʃənˈwaɪd /

adjective

1. extending throughout the nation.

   The incident aroused nationwide interest.

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nationwide British  

/ ˈneɪʃənˌwaɪd /

adjective

1. covering or available to the whole of a nation; national

   a nationwide survey

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Etymology

Origin of nationwide

First recorded in 1910–15; nation + -wide

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

For instance, PepsiCo has its own namesake prebiotic cola with fiber, which it made available nationwide in February.

From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026

Canvas parent company Instructure confirmed this week that it was responding to a “security incident” affecting the platform, which is used by thousands of schools and universities nationwide.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

In January, the American Red Cross declared a blood emergency after the national supply fell 35 percent that month, due to interruptions to blood drives caused by snowstorms and a nationwide flu outbreak.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Sourdough and naturally fermented bagels are trending nationwide.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Other strikes broke out around the country, and Debs began planning a nationwide general strike to begin in July.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• civil
• communal
• domestic
• ethnic
• governmental
• internal
• interstate
• public
• social