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universally

American  
[yoo-nuh-vur-suh-lee] / ˌyu nəˈvɜr sə li /

adverb

  1. in a universal manner; in every instance or place; without exception.

universally British  
/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəlɪ /

adverb

  1. everywhere or in every case; without exception

    this principle applies universally
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of universally

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; universal, -ly

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.

Hancock urged its widespread circulation so “that the People may be universally informed.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

“Kim’s Convenience” may not win points for originality, but originality isn’t really the point of an immigrant family drama meant to be instantly, one might say universally, recognizable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

If he isn’t especially charismatic or universally beloved, he also isn’t widely disliked, which in Irish political terms definitely counts as a win.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

Traders now universally expect no change from policymakers at next week’s Fed rate meeting.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Pilgrim writers universally reported that Wampanoag families were close and loving—more so than English families, some thought.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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.