verbreitete

Verbreitete is a German term that can function as a finite verb form or as an attributive adjective meaning widespread. As a finite verb form, it is the simple past (Präteritum) of the verb verbreiten, as in Die Nachricht verbreitete sich rasch. Here, it describes the action of spreading or disseminating something in the past.

As an attributive adjective, verbreitete denotes something that is widely spread or common. In this use, it is inflected to agree with the noun it modifies, producing phrases such as eine verbreitete Meinung or eine weit verbreitete Praxis. The attributive form often appears with additional intensifiers, for example weitverbreitete Meinung or weit verbreitete Fehlannahme, to emphasize breadth of occurrence.

Etymology and meaning: verbreiten comes from the prefix ver- plus breiten (to spread). The sense of 'verbreitete' as an adjective derives from the past participle, used to describe the extent to which something is spread or accepted. The word is common in journalism, academia, and everyday language when discussing prevalence, diffusion of information, ideas, or phenomena.

Usage notes: Distinguishing the verb from the adjectival use is usually straightforward from context. If verbreitete modifies a noun directly in attributive position, it signals a widespread characteristic. If it appears as a finite verb, it describes a spreading action in the past. The related noun Verbreitung refers to distribution or dissemination in a more formal sense.