/ ˈwaɪdli; NAmE / adverb
1.
by a lot of people; in or to many places :
a widely held belief
The idea is now widely accepted.
He has travelled widely in Asia.
Her books are widely read (= a lot of people read them) .
He's an educated, widely-read man (= he has read a lot of books) .
2.
to a large degree; a lot :
Standards vary widely.