1
: over or through a wide area
has traveled widely
2
: to a great extent
departed widely from the previous edition
3
: by or among a large well-dispersed group of people
a widely known political figure
4
: over a broad range
persons with widely fluctuating incomes—
Current Biography
Current BiographyExamples of widely in a Sentence
Their products are widely available.
a widely known political figure
The books are widely read by adults as well as children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Korda’s photo wasn’t widely published until after Guevara’s execution by Bolivian soldiers in 1967, when posters, murals and eventually T-shirts emblazoned with Guevara’s face began to appear around the world.
—Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
The man widely seen as her political mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, posted his congratulationson X, formerly known as twitter.
—Eyder Peralta, NPR, 3 June 2024
The elections were widely seen as a referendum on López Obrador, a populist who has expanded social programs but largely failed to reduce cartel violence in Mexico.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
Cancer care costs vary widely by the type of disease and the stage at which it’s diagnosed.
—Sarah Klein, TIME, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for widely 
Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
The man widely seen as her political mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, posted his congratulationson X, formerly known as twitter.
—Eyder Peralta, NPR, 3 June 2024
The elections were widely seen as a referendum on López Obrador, a populist who has expanded social programs but largely failed to reduce cartel violence in Mexico.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
Cancer care costs vary widely by the type of disease and the stage at which it’s diagnosed.
—Sarah Klein, TIME, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for widely
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'widely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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