Meaning & use
worldwide
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Reaching or happening in all parts of the world.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a worldwide shortage.
Patterns
- worldwide fame
- worldwide demand for something
The band enjoyed worldwide fame after its first album.
A worldwide shortage of computer chips slowed car production.
The charity launched a worldwide appeal for clean water.
adverbnot comparable
In or across every part of the world.
Grammar: Follows the verb or phrase it modifies and is not used with more or most.
Patterns
- sell something worldwide
- known worldwide
The novel has sold more than ten million copies worldwide.
The company ships its products worldwide.
Millions of viewers worldwide watched the final.
Common combinations
- worldwide web
- She built her first website on the worldwide web at age twelve.
- worldwide release
- The film's worldwide release is planned for July.
- worldwide recognition
- The scientist gained worldwide recognition for her discovery.
- ship worldwide
- The shop will ship worldwide for a small fee.
- worldwide shortage
- A worldwide shortage of paper raised book prices.
- recognized worldwide
- The logo is recognized worldwide.
Synonyms and how they differ
- global
- Global is the most common modern synonym and often suggests connection of the whole planet, while worldwide simply says everywhere.
- international
- International means involving two or more countries, which can be fewer than the whole world, so it is less broad than worldwide.
- universal
- Universal means applying to everyone or everything, which can go beyond geography, while worldwide is about places on Earth.
- planetary
- Planetary sounds scientific or dramatic and is rarer than worldwide for ordinary events or products.
Opposites
Word family
- world noun
- the earth and all its people and countries
- world-wide adjective
- older hyphenated spelling of worldwide
- World Wide Web proper noun
- the system of linked pages on the internet
Commonly confused: worldwide or worldly?
worldwide vs worldly
Worldly describes a person who is experienced in life or interested in material things, while worldwide describes something that reaches the whole globe.
Practice
The singer's new song became a ___ hit, topping the charts in more than forty countries.
Choose one answer.
Worldwide describes something spread across the whole world. Worldly describes a person's experience, wordy means using too many words, and local contradicts the forty countries.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “worldwide”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.