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widely

American  
[wahyd-lee] / ˈwaɪd li /

adverb

  1. to a wide extent.

  2. over a wide space or area.

    a widely distributed plant.

  3. by or among a large number of persons.

    a widely known artist.

  4. in many or various subjects, cases, etc..

    to be widely read.

  5. greatly, very much, or very.

    widely differing accounts of an event.

Etymology

Origin of widely

First recorded in 1655–65; wide + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While the human impact has been widely felt, nature groups say the toll on local wildlife is only beginning to emerge.

From BBC

Those are widely viewed as forever stocks by Berkshire watchers, due in part to a superlow cost basis.

From Barron's

Though first and foremost a seminarian, Khamenei read widely and kept varied company.

From The Wall Street Journal

A widely discussed idea known as iron fertilization proposed that as Antarctica warms and glaciers melt, iron trapped in the ice would be released into nearby waters.

From Science Daily

Projections for future electricity demand vary widely, but all forecasts point up.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.