World-Wide: Definition, Usage & Synonyms

Meaning 1：globally (world-wide)

world-wide 🔊

/ˌwɜːrld ˈwaɪd/

adj.

Something that happens or exists everywhere in the world.

World-wide concept illustration showing a global network of connected dots on a world map.

globally 🔊

➕

/ˈɡloʊbəli/

adj.

Describes something that extends across, involves, or is known throughout the entire world.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'world' (from Old English 'weorold', human existence) + 'wide' (from Old English 'wīd', extensive).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: The web is wide enough for the whole WORLD.

📖 Example

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a world-wide organization dedicated to protecting the environment. 🔊 The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an organization with a global scope, focused on environmental protection.

🔗 Collocations

world-wide network – A system or group of connections that operates across the entire globe.

world-wide reach – The extensive geographical scope or influence of something.

world-wide attention – Focus or interest from people all over the world.

🔄 Synonyms

global (adj.) – Relating to the whole world; worldwide.

international (adj.) – Existing, occurring, or carried on between nations.

universal (adj.) – Done, experienced, or affecting all people or things in the world.

🚫 Antonyms

local (adj.) – Relating or restricted to a particular area or one's immediate neighborhood.

regional (adj.) – Relating to or characteristic of a distinct part of a country or the world.

national (adj.) – Relating to a single nation as a whole; not international.

🌱 Derivatives

worldwide (adj./adv.) – Alternative spelling with the same meaning; can also function as an adverb.

worldwidely (adv.) – In a manner that spans the entire world (less common).

📖 Cultural Story

The term gained immense popularity in the late 20th century, largely driven by the invention and explosive growth of the 'World Wide Web' (WWW) in the 1990s. This technological context solidified its meaning of global, interconnected reach in modern vocabulary.