widely

[ wahyd-lee ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of widely¹

First recorded in 1655–65; wide + -ly

Example Sentences

In 2010, Jianxin Ma, a professor of agronomy, and his collaborators built the first reference genome for soybeans on the widely studied Williams 82 variety.

From Science Daily

The substances widely contaminate the air, soil, and water.

From Science Magazine

Russian forces have been using landmines widely in Ukraine - since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has deployed landmines to both defend their positions and slow down the Ukrainians.

From BBC

The USC-bound Palmer had prevailed on every occasion, including a 55-42 victory in a divisional high school championship game that was widely considered the best in Orange County history.

From Los Angeles Times

Such counts are widely believed to underestimate the true number of homeless people.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• broadly
• commonly
• generally
• universally