widespread amount of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "widespread amount of" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly because "widespread" refers to something that is distributed over a large area or among many people, while "amount" is usually used with uncountable nouns. Example: "There is a widespread amount of misinformation circulating online."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Due to the large number of data, sometimes, managing this widespread amount of data would be impossible.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

In the past, Hopstop was ahead of competitor Google Transit in terms of providing transit info for a widespread amount of metropolitan areas but Google has caught up (and maybe surpassed) with its Maps-based transit planner.

TechCrunch

One problem with the British referendum was the widespread amount of low-information voting on the incredibly complex issue of EU membership.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Although Aboriginal content in medical and health sciences programs in Australian universities is widespread, the amount of content, its placement in a program and the degree of vertical integration differs widely and may impact on the effectiveness of learnings and the extent to which they are sustained and translated into clinical practice.

BMC Medical Education

▪ Although the use of structured electronic databases is widespread, a substantial amount of clinical data used in research predates this.

BMJ Open

Ironically, that speed is also the main protection against a widespread attack; the sheer amount of traffic would bring the public IM servers down almost immediately.

The Guardian - Tech

Or, he notes, a string of the devices especially ones that had parts-per-billion accuracy and could withstand high temperatures and pressures could be fed down a borehole to monitor widespread changes in the amount of water in an aquifer or petroleum in a surrounding oilfield, possibly yielding information about how quickly such reservoirs might run dry.

Science Magazine

Despite these advances, movable type printing never gained the amount of widespread use in East Asia that woodblock printing had achieved since the Chinese Tang Dynasty in the 9th century.

Wikipedia

If these strategies became widespread, the researchers calculate, the amount of global warming in 2050 would be reduced by about one degree Fahrenheit, roughly a third of the warming projected if nothing is done.

The New York Times - Science

In a country where a majority of people now define themselves as black or of mixed race — but where blacks remain remarkably rare in the highest echelons of political institutions and corporations — Mr. Barbosa's trajectory and abrupt manner have elicited both widespread admiration and a fair amount of resistance.

The New York Times

This leaves firms with plenty of money to finance investment, and so sustain the recovery, even if the government tightens up.What about the widespread concern that an unhealthy amount of new lending has been used to speculate in asset markets, leaving banks dangerously exposed?

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "widespread amount of". Instead, opt for phrases like "large quantity of" or "extensive distribution of" to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

A common mistake is pairing "widespread" with "amount" because "widespread" describes distribution while "amount" refers to quantity. Instead, use "widespread" with nouns describing phenomena (e.g. "widespread use") or replace the phrase with "large amount" plus context-appropriate preposition (e.g. "a large amount of data").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "widespread amount of" attempts to quantify something distributed, but this is grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, "widespread" refers to distribution, while "amount" refers to quantity. Thus, this phrase often results in awkward or incorrect sentences.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

33%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "widespread amount of" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI indicates that "widespread" describes distribution, while "amount" quantifies uncountable nouns, creating a mismatch. While sources like journals and news outlets sometimes use it, opting for alternatives like "large quantity of" or rephrasing to emphasize distribution (e.g., "extensive distribution of") will improve clarity and grammatical correctness. When in doubt, choose precision over potentially misleading phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

large quantity of

Emphasizes the size of the quantity, replacing "widespread" with a direct measure of size.

significant quantity of

Highlights that the quantity is noteworthy or important.

substantial amount of

Similar to "large quantity", but with a slightly more formal tone.

considerable quantity of

Indicates the quantity is worthy of attention.

vast quantity of

Emphasizes the immensity of the quantity.

extensive quantity of

Highlights both the scope and scale of the quantity.

large scale

Focuses on the size and scope of something, often used for projects or phenomena.

high volume

Indicates a large amount, often used in contexts like production or traffic.

widespread presence of

Replaces "amount" with "presence" to align with the concept of distribution.

extensive distribution of

Emphasizes the broad distribution, which implies a large quantity spread across an area.

FAQs

Is "widespread amount of" grammatically correct?

No, "widespread amount of" is not grammatically correct. "Widespread" describes distribution or prevalence, while "amount" quantifies uncountable nouns. It's better to use "large amount of" or rephrase to emphasize distribution using phrases like "extensive distribution of".

What can I say instead of "widespread amount of"?

Alternatives include "large quantity of", "significant amount of", or rewording to focus on distribution, like "extensive distribution of".

When is it appropriate to use the word "widespread"?

"Widespread" is appropriate when describing something that is broadly distributed or prevalent. For example, you can say "widespread use of technology" or "widespread concern about climate change".

How can I correctly express a large quantity that is also distributed?

You can correctly express a large, distributed quantity by saying something like "The extensive distribution of resources" or "a large amount of aid that was widely distributed".