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Prepositions after adjectives

Widespread with different prepositions

Widespread is commonly followed by in, among, throughout, or across depending on the group or area involved. Widespread at is not a standard combination after the adjective.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with widespread?

Use widespread in for places, fields, or groups seen as areas. Use widespread among for groups of people. Throughout and across emphasise distribution over a whole area. Widespread at is generally not used as a fixed adjective pattern.

widespread in the industry
widespread among teenagers
widespread throughout the country
widespread across Europe

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
widespread in + place/field

Showing something exists widely within an area or activity

In is common with countries, industries, communities, and fields.

widespread in rural areas
widespread in modern medicine
2
widespread among + group

Talking about large groups of people or animals

Among is used with populations or social groups.

widespread among voters
widespread among young adults
3
widespread throughout + area

Emphasising distribution across an entire area

Throughout highlights presence in every part of a place or period.

widespread throughout the region
widespread throughout the year
4
widespread across + area

Describing spread over a broad surface or range

Across often stresses coverage over several places or systems.

widespread across Asia
widespread across social media

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
widespread in
The practice is widespread in hospitals.
Common within a place, system, or field.
widespread among
The trend is widespread among students.
Common within a group of people.
widespread throughout
The disease became widespread throughout the province.
Present in all parts of an area.
widespread across
The outage was widespread across the network.
Spread over many areas or sections.
widespread at
Not standard as a fixed adjective pattern: widespread at the company.
At usually introduces a separate location phrase, not the normal complement of widespread.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using at as the main complement

At is not usually the standard preposition directly after widespread.

✕ The custom is widespread at schools. ✓ The custom is widespread in schools.

Using among with places

Among works best with groups, not geographic areas.

✕ The language is widespread among the country. ✓ The language is widespread throughout the country.

Confusing across and among

Across refers to areas or systems, while among refers to groups.

✕ The idea is widespread across teenagers. ✓ The idea is widespread among teenagers.

Leaving out the needed preposition

Widespread usually needs a phrase showing where or among whom.

✕ The problem is widespread society. ✓ The problem is widespread in society.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The belief is widespread ___ older voters.
2. The virus became widespread ___ the region.
3. Cashless payment is widespread ___ large cities.

Check your sentence in context

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say widespread at school?

Usually no. Say widespread in schools or widespread at schools only if at introduces a separate location idea in the sentence.

What is the difference between widespread across and widespread throughout?

Across stresses spread over a broad area or range, while throughout emphasises every part of the area.

Is widespread among only for people?

It is mainly used with groups of people or living things, such as voters, children, or animals.

warm-in-up-for-to, with wary of, about or in? weak in, on, at, for or from? wealthy in, of, by, from or with? weary of, from, in, with or about? wedded to, by, for, in or into? weekly for, in, on, with or to? weird for, to, about, in or with? "welcome to" or "welcome in"? "welcoming of" or "welcoming to"? "well-known for" or "well-known in"? well-received by, in, at, among or with?

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