'area-wide' originates from English, specifically the words 'area' and 'wide,' where 'area' originally meant 'open space' (from Latin 'area') and 'wide' meant 'broad' (from Old English 'wīd').

'area' entered English from Latin 'area' (used in Late Latin and Medieval Latin) and 'wide' comes from Old English 'wīd'; the compound 'area-wide' is a modern English formation (becoming common in the 20th century) combining these two elements.

Initially the elements meant 'open space' and 'broad'; combined as 'area-wide' the phrase came to mean 'extending across an entire area' in modern usage.