nationwide

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something covering a whole country, but they differ in emphasis and typical use. 'National' is the broadest term—it often refers to government-level or country-wide scope without requiring every single corner to be involved (e.g., 'a national holiday,' 'national policy'). 'Nationwide' stresses actual coverage across every region: a nationwide strike shuts down trains in all cities, not just the capital. 'Countrywide' is nearly a synonym of 'nationwide' but is slightly less common in formal writing and feels more descriptive than official. 'Cross-country' highlights movement or travel between regions rather than simultaneous presence everywhere—a cross-country road trip, for example, passes through many places but is not an event happening in all of them at once. For a true 'every-region' situation—like a smoking ban or an election—'nationwide' is the most precise choice.

Common collocations

Etymology

Formed by combining the noun 'nation' (from Latin 'natio', meaning 'birth, tribe, race') with the suffix '-wide', meaning 'covering or extending over the whole of'. The compound emerged in American English in the early 20th century and became common in British English after the Second World War.