The phrase "a widespread desire" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a common or prevalent longing or wish shared by many people.
Example: "There is a widespread desire for more sustainable practices in our community."
Alternatives: "a common yearning" or "a prevalent wish."
The polls suggest a widespread desire for disciplined regulation of managed care plans, including the right to sue.
There is a widespread desire for a cleaner, more efficient government, but it has long proved elusive.
Until recently, Chinese nationalists were crowded out by a widespread desire to be embraced by the outside world.
It was in any case a symptom of a widespread desire to find a different and more scientific basis for history.
But it may also have reflected a widespread desire for stability – perhaps the most popular word in the Egyptian political lexicon.
It is understood that there is a widespread desire in the organisation for more charismatic and assertive leadership as the world faces a period of intensely challenging conflicts.
I am well aware of the fact, though, that polls indicate a fairly widespread desire for a "strong man".
There was an unprompted widespread desire for different understorey densities in different places, i.e. a 'patchwork' landscape, to maximise opportunities for different species and societal uses.
"It is apparent that there is a strong and widespread desire to deliver a really exciting league season that provides well-run clubs at all levels of the game with opportunities to flourish, succeed and make progress.
"There is a real and widespread desire among the community to honor Quentin and do what we can to help the Lorraine Hansberry through a huge moment of transition," Mr. Erickson said.
I've become intrigued by the trivia game HQ Trivia, which seems to be getting at a burgeoning and widespread desire for shared activities that break you out of your own siloed tech bubble.
