distributed over a considerable extent
"far-flung trading operations"
"the West's far-flung mountain ranges"
"widespread nuclear fallout"
Affecting a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused.
"The wildfire quickly spread, turning a vast and widespread section of the forest into ash within hours."
In plain English: Widespread means something is found over a very large area and affects many people at once.
"The new technology has become widespread in most modern homes."
Usage: Use widespread to describe phenomena that cover a large geographic region, such as wildfires spreading across multiple states or rumors circulating globally. It is often confused with "widespread" being used for small-scale issues, but the term specifically implies extensive reach rather than just high frequency.
This word is a compound formed from wide and spread. It entered English by combining these two existing words to describe something that covers a large area.