widely

adverb

wide·​ly ˈwīd-lē How to pronounce widely (audio)
Synonyms of widelynext
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

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.
What this means: The NFL’s new league year opened Wednesday and opened the door for the Bears to finalize several transactions that had been in the works over the last two weeks and widely reported. — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025 Shoppers have also balked at companies downsizing bags of chips, cookies and other products while raising prices, a phenomenon widely known as shrinkflation. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025 Some of this misinformation has been widely spread by the current secretary of Health and Human Services, who has repeatedly claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, which has no strong scientific basis. — Omer Awan, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 Bowman was widely seen as a frontrunner to fill the role, in part due to the fact that the Fed's board is currently full, meaning a replacement must be named from existing governors. — Pete Schroeder and Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 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

Phrases Containing widely

Rhymes for widely

See All Rhymes for widely

Browse Nearby Words

wide gage
widely
widely believed
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Cite this Entry

“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widely. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for widely

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