útbreiddur

útbreiddur is an Icelandic adjective meaning widespread or prevalent, used to describe something that is extensively distributed across a geographic area or among a population. It emphasizes breadth of reach rather than mere occurrence and is common in scientific and descriptive writing.

The noun form útbreidd means breadth or extent of distribution and is used in contexts such as geography, epidemiology, sociology, linguistics, and ecology to refer to how far or how extensively a phenomenon is present. The word is formed from út- (out, forth) and breiða (to spread), with the standard adjectival suffix -ur.

In usage, útbreiddur conveys a sense of pervasiveness and wide reach. It can apply to physical spread, such as a disease present across a large region, or to cultural, linguistic, or technological phenomena that are widely adopted or observed. It is often contrasted with dreifður, which emphasizes dispersion or scattering rather than uniform breadth of presence.

Outside Icelandic, the concept corresponds to terms like widespread, prevalent, or broadly distributed, and speakers may choose among synonyms depending on nuance. In linguistic and academic texts, útbreiddur helps to describe patterns that are not localized but characteristic of a large area or group.

See also útbreidd (breadth, extent) and related discussions of prevalence and distribution in scientific and social scientific contexts.