Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extending across or involving the entire world: Having a scope, influence, or presence that reaches all or most parts of the globe.
   • Universal in nature or applicability: Relevant or occurring everywhere, not limited to a specific region or locality.

Usage

• As an attributive adjective (before a noun): Used to describe nouns by indicating their global scale.
  • The company has a world-wide network of distributors.
  • They launched a world-wide search for the new CEO.
• As a predicative adjective (after a linking verb): Used to describe the subject's state or extent.
  • The epidemic quickly became world-wide.
  • His fame is truly world-wide.

Examples

• Describing scope or reach:
  • The internet allows for world-wide communication in an instant.
  • The charity's world-wide efforts have helped millions.
• Describing phenomena or events:
  • Climate change is a world-wide concern.
  • The concert was broadcast to a world-wide audience.

Advanced Usage

• In formal and academic contexts: Often used to discuss systems, trends, or issues of global scale.
  • The study examines the world-wide impact of economic policies.
  • There is a world-wide consensus among scientists on this issue.

Variants and Related Words

• Worldwide (adj): The more common closed form (single word) with identical meaning.
  • The product enjoys worldwide popularity.
• Global (adj): Very close synonym, often used interchangeably.
  • a global pandemic
• International (adj): More specifically implies involving multiple nations, but not necessarily every part of the world.
  • an international agreement

Synonyms

• Global
• Planetary
• Universal (when emphasizing applicability)
• Cosmopolitan (when emphasizing broad, cross-cultural scope)

Antonyms

• Local
• Regional
• National
• Provincial

Related Phrases and Idioms

• World-wide web: (Proper noun) The system of interlinked hypertext documents (the Web) accessible via the Internet. This is a specific compound term.
  • She found the information on the world-wide web.
• To achieve world-wide acclaim/fame: To become famous or recognized across the globe.
  • The artist achieved world-wide acclaim after her exhibition.

Adjective

1. of worldwide scope or applicability
   • an issue of cosmopolitan import
   • the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time- Christopher Morley
   • universal experience
2. spanning or extending throughout the entire world
   • worldwide distribution
   • a worldwide epidemic
3. involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope
   • global war
   • global monetary policy
   • neither national nor continental but planetary
   • a world crisis
   • of worldwide significance