Widely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪdli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that extends over a large area or is accepted by many people
2. In a way that encompasses a broad range or is recognized by a significant number of individuals
3. In a fashion that spreads across a vast space or gains approval from many groups

Etymology: "Widely" is about as plain as English etymology gets: it is the adjective "wide" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached. Its ancestor is Middle English "wijdly," built the same way, so the word has simply been describing things as wide, or spread far, since the medieval period. The more interesting part is the path from physical breadth to the sense it now carries. "Wide" originally described physical extent, a space stretching across a distance. Adverbs formed with "-ly" from such adjectives tend to shift from measuring space toward describing reach or scope, and "widely" followed that pattern: a thing spread widely is one that has extended across many places or people. Today's meaning, recognized by a large number of people, is that extension applied to knowledge, opinion and reputation.

Synonyms: broadly, extensively, generally, thoroughly

Antonyms: narrowly, limitedly