widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē How to pronounce widely (audio)
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 incomesCurrent Biography

Examples 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the morning of April 14, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego County and was widely felt across Southern California and northern Mexico. Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 4 May 2025 Not all are widely used or studied for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in dark skin tones, specifically. Susan Bard, Health, 3 May 2025 The Handmaid’s Tale’s triumph was not widely predicted. Joe Reid, Vulture, 3 May 2025 Within Australia, Albanese’s government has been widely criticized for not being aggressive enough in efforts to tame rising living costs during a period of high global inflation. Hilary Whiteman and Angus Watson, CNN Money, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for widely

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of widely was in 1579

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Cite this Entry

“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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