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.
The shirt, approved by the FIA for WEC and F1, is made by Chillout Motorsports and is by far the most widely used cooling device in motorsport, used across the grid at Sunday’s F1 Italian Grand Prix. — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 And there are questions about how many people will tune in to a show that may not be widely broadcast and is competing with the opening two nights of the NFL regular season. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 Secretary of State Marco Rubio, widely viewed as a possible 2028 presidential contender, has mostly stayed away from campaign events even as many of his Cabinet colleagues have taken increasingly visible roles in the midterm push. — James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026 The likely beneficiary of this initiative would be Vice President JD Vance, who is widely expected to launch a presidential campaign. — Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 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 7 Sep. 2026.

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