adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˌwaɪdˈspɹɛd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˈwaɪdˌspɹɛd/prenominal
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:W AY1 D S P R EH1 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Affecting, or found throughout, a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
widespread belief
widespread criticism
widespread acceptance
There was widespread support for the proposal.
The storm caused widespread damage.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Spread far apart.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
distributed over a considerable extent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
far-flung trading operations
the West's far-flung mountain ranges
widespread nuclear fallout
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: far-flung
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
widely circulated or diffused
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a widespread doctrine
widespread fear of nuclear war
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From wide + spread.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
широко разпространен
(široko razprostranen)
— affecting a large area
Bulgarian:
обширен
(obširen)
— affecting a large area
Catalan:
estès
— affecting a large area
Chinese Mandarin:
廣泛 /广泛
(guǎngfàn)
— affecting a large area
Czech:
rozšířený
— affecting a large area
Dutch:
wijdverspreid
— affecting a large area
Finnish:
laajalle levinnyt
— affecting a large area
Finnish:
laaja
— affecting a large area
French:
répandu
— affecting a large area
French:
généralisé
— affecting a large area
Galician:
extenso
— affecting a large area
Georgian:
გავრცელებული
(gavrcelebuli)
— affecting a large area
Georgian:
ფართოდ გავრცელებული
(partod gavrcelebuli)
— affecting a large area
German:
weitläufig
— affecting a large area
German:
weitverbreitet
— affecting a large area
German:
weit verstreut
— affecting a large area
Greek:
διαδεδομένος
(diadedoménos)
— affecting a large area
Hungarian:
elterjedt
— affecting a large area
Icelandic:
útbreiddur
— affecting a large area
Irish:
go forleathan
— affecting a large area
Italian:
ampio
— affecting a large area
Italian:
diffuso
— affecting a large area
Italian:
esteso
— affecting a large area
Latin:
lātus
— affecting a large area
Latin:
pervagātus
— affecting a large area
Macedonian:
широко распространет
(široko rasprostranet)
— affecting a large area
Māori:
tukupū
— affecting a large area
Māori:
tukipū
— affecting a large area
Māori:
rangiwhāwhā
— affecting a large area
Māori:
mawhera
— affecting a large area
Māori:
pārāweranui
— affecting a large area
Polish:
rozpowszechniony
— affecting a large area
Polish:
powszechny
— affecting a large area
Portuguese:
difuso
— affecting a large area
Portuguese:
difundido
— affecting a large area
Portuguese:
amplo
— affecting a large area
Portuguese:
generalizado
— affecting a large area
Portuguese:
lato
— affecting a large area
Romanian:
răspândit
— affecting a large area
Romanian:
extins
— affecting a large area
Russian:
широко́ распространённый
(širokó rasprostranjónnyj)
— affecting a large area
Serbo-Croatian:
raširen
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
amplio
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
común
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
extendido
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
extenso
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
generalizado
— affecting a large area
Spanish:
masivo
— affecting a large area
Swedish:
utbredd
— affecting a large area
Swedish:
omfattande
— affecting a large area
Turkish:
yaygın
— affecting a large area
Ukrainian:
широ́ко поши́рений
(šyróko pošýrenyj)
— affecting a large area
Ukrainian:
розповсю́джений
(rozpovsjúdženyj)
— affecting a large area