widespread

American  

[wahyd-spred] / ˈwaɪdˈsprɛd /

adjective

1. spread over or open, or occupying a wide space.

2. distributed over a wide region, or occurring in many places or among many persons or individuals.

   widespread poverty.

   Synonyms:

   far-flung, pervasive, extensive, far-reaching

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widespread British  

/ ˈwaɪdˌsprɛd /

adjective

1. extending over a wide area

2. accepted by or occurring among many people

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Etymology

Origin of widespread

First recorded in 1695–1705; wide + spread

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.

Example Sentences

But it’s still not widespread in my experience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan targets widespread quantum computer availability by 2030, backed by an estimated $16 billion in state support.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The research team found no signs of widespread overhunting.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Whilst I understand and support people's right to protest, it is important to reflect at this stage that I don't think we would benefit from widespread disruption.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

In a twist, the story of a widespread panic wasn't true either.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow