adjective
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extending over a wide area
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accepted by or occurring among many people
Etymology
Origin of widespread
Explanation
Widespread means far-reaching. For years, email was used only by computer programmers and technophiles. It was hard to imagine, back then, how widespread the phenomenon of digital communication would become. An idea that's widespread, is believed by many people, even if it's not true. A person such as Oprah, Gandhi, or Beyoncé, who has widespread popularity, is loved by many far and wide. A widespread disease is one that many people have — the flu epidemic of 1919 was deadly and widespread.
Vocabulary lists containing widespread
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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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.
The effort to spread the word on the case is widespread.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
The challenge is that most superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures, requiring expensive cooling systems that limit widespread use.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Ferrari’s first electric car, the Luce, faced widespread criticism for its design and 550,000 euros price after its unveiling.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Opposition to AI data centers is widespread, with 70% of Americans against local construction and fourteen states debating moratoriums.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
On the one hand, there was an undeniable and widespread sense of pride, even of collective achievement, in the successes of Spaulding and the Mutual.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
