widespread

[wahyd-spred]

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

widespread

/ ˈwaɪdˌsprɛd /

adjective

1. extending over a wide area

2. accepted by or occurring among many people

Word History and Origins

Origin of widespread¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; wide + spread

Example Sentences

Despite widespread pessimism about the country's financial health, at the moment voters beyond the ranks of the party's existing supporters are less willing to trust the party on economy than they are on immigration.

From BBC

Levy also invited widespread criticism when he used the Government's furlough scheme during the Covid pandemic, then when he phased out concession tickets for seniors.

From BBC

Audits are currently only being carried out on homes insulated since 2022 because, ministers argue, ''current data suggests there is not a widespread issue'' in earlier schemes.

From BBC

There are two primary causes of the desiccation: rising temperatures unleashed by using oil and gas, and widespread overpumping of water that took millennia to accumulate underground.

From Los Angeles Times

Amid January’s historic firestorm in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, the Sunset fire ignited in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon, prompting widespread evacuation orders and massive traffic jams as residents rushed to flee the area.

From Los Angeles Times