a widespread change

USAGE SUMMARY

"a widespread change" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a change that affects a large number of people or places, such as "The new law brought about a widespread change in people's attitudes towards recycling."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

"What they are asking for now is a change in the system, and this reflects a widespread change in attitude," he said.

The New York Times

These figures reflected an accounting change related to a widespread change in the accounting of good will and other one-time adjustments.

The New York Times

Including an adjustment related to a widespread change in the accounting of good will, the results for the third quarter of 2001 were $53.1 million, or 35 cents a share.

The New York Times

The data showed a widespread change in the canopy due to the dieback of branches, especially among the older, larger trees that are most vulnerable because they provide the shelter for other vegetation.

The Guardian

If Congress enacted such limits it would force a widespread change in the way many of the country's most delicate intelligence operations are run, and would most likely require the intelligence agencies to hire more staff members of their own to do work that in recent years has increasingly been outsourced.

The New York Times

But it's a widespread change, as hundreds of tweets are pouring in in about the switch to widescreen.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

AtPAP2 overexpression resulted in a widespread changes of the transcriptome in the transgenic plants, which may reflect the impact of changes in energy supply that feed back to alter transcriptional programmes.

BMC Genomics

However, it wasn't until the blog PocketGamer investigated the matter further that it could be determined that this was becoming a more widespread change, rather than a one-off situation.

TechCrunch

UNICEF and the European Commission are committed to supporting girls like Asu, as well as to paving the way for a permanent, widespread change in social attitude.

Unicef

Hoping to keep its 70-year grip on power in the face of a growing pro-democracy movement, the Communist Party opened a hastily convened congress today with a call for widespread change.

The New York Times

But it could be a catalyst for widespread change, driving community colleges where they turn away a lot of students to move quickly to put more of their own courses online, and charge tuition, to keep their students from taking the courses elsewhere".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a widespread change" to introduce the impact of an event or decision, such as "The new policy led to a widespread change in company culture".

Common error

Avoid using "a widespread change" if the change is localized or affects only a small group. Overstating the reach of a change can undermine your credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a widespread change" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies and describes a significant alteration affecting a large group or area. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is both grammatically correct and usable in a variety of contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Science

40%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a widespread change" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe significant alterations impacting a large number of entities. As indicated by Ludwig AI, the phrase is perfectly acceptable in formal English. Although classified as "Uncommon" in terms of frequency, it is widely used in "News & Media", "Science" and "Academia". When using this phrase, ensure the context clarifies the scope and nature of the change and avoid overstating its impact. Alternative phrases like "a broad transformation" or "a comprehensive modification" can be used depending on the specific nuance you aim to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a broad transformation

Replaces "change" with "transformation" emphasizing a more fundamental shift and replaces "widespread" with "broad", which maintains a similar meaning.

a comprehensive modification

Substitutes "change" with "modification", suggesting a more detailed alteration and substitutes "widespread" with "comprehensive", adding a sense of completeness.

a sweeping reform

Replaces "change" with "reform", indicating an improvement-focused alteration and substitutes "widespread" with "sweeping", implying a broad and forceful impact.

a general shift

Replaces "change" with "shift", suggesting a change in direction or focus and replaces "widespread" with "general", indicating a common or prevalent nature.

a universal adjustment

Substitutes "change" with "adjustment", highlighting a process of adaptation and replaces "widespread" with "universal", suggesting that the change applies to all cases.

a systemic alteration

Replaces "change" with "alteration", implying a change in character or composition and replaces "widespread" with "systemic", indicating that the change affects the entire system.

a pervasive transition

Substitutes "change" with "transition", emphasizing a process of change from one state to another and replaces "widespread" with "pervasive", suggesting that the change is spreading widely.

a global revision

Replaces "change" with "revision", suggesting a corrected or improved version and replaces "widespread" with "global", indicating worldwide impact.

a radical overhaul

Replaces "change" with "overhaul", suggesting a thorough repair or renovation and replaces "widespread" with "radical", indicating a fundamental or dramatic change.

a collective evolution

Replaces "change" with "evolution", emphasizing a gradual development and replaces "widespread" with "collective", suggesting the change is shared among a group.

FAQs

How can I use "a widespread change" in a sentence?

You can use "a widespread change" to describe significant shifts or alterations that impact a large group, area, or system. For example: "The industrial revolution brought about "a widespread change" in societal structures."

What are some alternatives to using the phrase "a widespread change"?

Depending on the context, you might consider using alternatives such as "a broad transformation", "a comprehensive modification", or "a sweeping reform".

What does "widespread" mean in the context of "a widespread change"?

In this context, "widespread" means that the change affects many people or things over a large area or throughout a system. It implies that the change is not isolated or localized.

Is it always appropriate to use "a widespread change" when discussing alterations?

No, it's important to consider the actual extent of the alteration. If the change is limited in scope or impact, it may be more accurate to use phrases like "a localized adjustment" or "a specific modification" instead of "a widespread change".