widely

UK: /ˈwaɪdli/ US: (wīd′lē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wide•ly  (wīd′lē), adv. 

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.

• wide + -ly 1655–65

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

wide /waɪd/   adj. andadv., wid•er, wid•est. 
adj. 

1. of great size or extent from side to side;
   broad:
   the great wide lands of the prairie.
2. having a certain measurement from side to side: [after a noun]
   The doorway was only three feet wide.
   [before a noun* after a number of measurement]
   a three-foot-wide doorway.
3. of great range or scope:
   a wide selection of recordings.
4. fully opened:
   He stared at the teacher with wide eyes.
5. far from an aim or goal:
   [usually: be + ~] That remark is wide of the truth.

adv. 

6. to the most;
   fully:
   The door was wide open.
7. away from a target or objective:
   The shot went wide.
8. over a large area:
   The birds were scattered far and wide after the drought.

wide•ly, adv. 

: She is widely known as an expert in management.

wide•ness, n. [uncountable]

-wide, suffix. 

1. -wide is used to form adjectives with the meaning "extending or applying throughout a certain, given space,'' as mentioned by the noun:
   community + -wide → communitywide (= applying to or throughout the community);
   countrywide;
   worldwide.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wide  (wīd), adj., wid•er, wid•est, adv., n. 
adj. 

1. having considerable or great extent from side to side;
   broad:
   a wide boulevard.
2. having a certain or specified extent from side to side:
   three feet wide.
3. of great horizontal extent;
   extensive;
   vast;
   spacious:
   the wide plains of the West.
4. of great range or scope;
   embracing a great number or variety of subjects, cases, etc.:
   wide experience.
5. open to the full or a great extent;
   expanded;
   distended:
   to stare with wide eyes.
6. apart or remote from a specified point or object:
   a guess wide of the truth.
7. too far or too much to one side:
   a shot wide of the mark.
8. Sport [Baseball.] outside (def. 16):
   The pitch was wide of the plate.
9. full, ample, or roomy, as clothing:
   He wore wide, flowing robes.
10. Phonetics lax (def. 7).
11. British Terms shrewd;
    wary.

adv. 

12. to the full extent of opening:
    Open your mouth wide.
13. to the utmost, or fully:
    to be wide awake.
14. away from or to one side of a point, mark, purpose, or the like;
    aside;
    astray:
    The shot went wide.
15. over an extensive space or region, or far abroad:
    scattered far and wide.
16. to a great, or relatively great, extent from side to side:
    The river runs wide here.

n. 

17. Sport [Cricket.] a bowled ball that goes wide of the wicket, and counts as a run for the side batting.
18. [Archaic.] a wide space or expanse.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English wīd; cognate with Dutch wijd, German weit, Old Norse vīthr

wide′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. Wide, broad refer to dimensions. They are often interchangeable, but wide especially applies to things of which the length is much greater than the width:
  a wide road, piece of ribbon.
  Broad is more emphatic, and applies to things of considerable or great width, breadth, or extent, esp. to surfaces extending laterally:
  a broad valley.
• 3. boundless; comprehensive; ample.

Antonyms

• 1. narrow.

-wide, 

1. a combining form of wide, forming from nouns adjectives with the general sense "extending or applying throughout a given space,'' as specified by the noun:
   communitywide;
   countrywide;
   worldwide.