The difference between Mainstream and Widespread

When used as adjectives, mainstream means used or accepted broadly rather than by small portions of a population or market, whereas widespread means affecting a large area (e.g. the entire land or body).


Mainstream is also noun with the meaning: that which is common.

Mainstream is also verb with the meaning: to popularize, to normalize, to render mainstream.

check bellow for the other definitions of Mainstream and Widespread

  1. Mainstream as an adjective:

    Used or accepted broadly rather than by small portions of a population or market.

    Examples:

    "They often carry stories you won't find in the mainstream media."

  1. Mainstream as a noun (usually, with ''the''):

    That which is common; the norm.

    Examples:

    "His ideas were well outside the mainstream, but he presented them intelligently, and we were impressed if not convinced."

  1. Mainstream as a verb (transitive):

    To popularize, to normalize, to render mainstream.

  2. Mainstream as a verb (intransitive):

    To become mainstream.

  3. Mainstream as a verb (transitive, education):

    To educate (a disabled student) together with non-disabled students.

    Examples:

    "'Mainstreaming has become more common in recent years, as studies have shown that many mainstreamed students with mild learning disabilities learn better than their non-mainstreamed counterparts."

  1. Widespread as an adjective:

    Affecting a large area (e.g. the entire land or body); broad in extent; widely diffused.