widespread
adjective
wide·spread
ˈwīd-ˈspred 
1
: widely diffused or prevalent
widespread public interest
2
: widely extended or spread out
low, widespread hood and fenders—
Time
Timea widespread erosion surface—C. B. Hitchcock
C. B. HitchcockExamples of widespread in a Sentence
There is widespread public interest in the election.
Trade partners had become more widespread.
There was widespread opposition to the plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
In October 2024, the arrest of prominent Cambodian journalist Mech Dara, who helped expose the human trafficking fueling online scam centers, prompted widespread international concern.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The country faces rampant inflation, widespread shortages, and mass emigration, with over seven million Venezuelans fleeing abroad.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The investigation also uncovered evidence of widespread sanctions evasion.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
It’s already identified glaring holes in popular software, including the Chrome web browser, and its success suggests that widespread automatic patching of security flaws may be just around the corner.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
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Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
The country faces rampant inflation, widespread shortages, and mass emigration, with over seven million Venezuelans fleeing abroad.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The investigation also uncovered evidence of widespread sanctions evasion.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
It’s already identified glaring holes in popular software, including the Chrome web browser, and its success suggests that widespread automatic patching of security flaws may be just around the corner.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widespread
Cite this Entry
“Widespread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widespread. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
widespread
adjective
wide·spread
ˈwīd-ˈspred
1
: scattered or found over a wide area
widespread interest in the election
2
: spread out over a wide area
widespread wings
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