wide‧ly W2 /ˈwaɪdli/ adverb
[Word Family: adverb: wide, widely; verb: widen; noun: width; adjective: wide]

1. in a lot of different places or by a lot of people:
Organic food is now widely available.
an author who had travelled widely in the Far East
a widely used method
These laws were widely regarded as too strict.
This view was not widely held.

2. to a large degree – used when talking about differences:
The quality of the applicants varies widely.

3. widely read
a) read by a lot of people:
a widely read magazine
b) having read many different books

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲