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

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

It will be the first nationwide early closure of Starbucks Korea since the chain opened in the country in 1999.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 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

To discover how Americans regard class and where they place themselves, The New York Times conducted a nationwide survey in March 2005.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

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