wide-area
|wide-are-a|
🇺🇸
/waɪd ˈɛriə/
🇬🇧
/waɪd ˈeəriə/
broad region
Etymology
'wide-area' is a modern compound formed in English from the adjective 'wide' and the noun 'area'. 'wide' comes from Old English 'wīd' meaning 'broad', and 'area' comes from Latin 'area' meaning 'open space' or 'level ground'.
'wide' developed from Old English 'wīd' into Middle English 'wide' with the same core sense of 'broad'; 'area' entered English via Latin 'area' (through Old French/Medieval Latin usage) to mean an open space. The two words have been combined in modern English usage as a hyphenated compound ('wide-area') to function primarily as an attributive adjective.
Initially the separate words meant 'broad' and 'open space' respectively; over time they have been combined to form a compound that specifically conveys the idea of covering a broad spatial extent (often in technical contexts, e.g., networks or surveillance).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a large geographic region or expanse (used less commonly as a standalone noun; often appears in compounds such as 'wide-area network').
The project focuses on improving services across a wide-area.
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Adjective 1
extending over or covering a large region; used attributively to describe something that spans a broad geographic or spatial scope (often used before another noun: e.g., wide-area network).
The company installed a wide-area surveillance system to monitor several campuses.
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Last updated: 2025/11/08 20:04