countywide

IPA/ˌkaʊntiˈwaɪd/
IPA/ˌkaʊntiˈwaɪd/

countywide — adjective

  • countywidepositive
  • more countywidecomparative
  • most countywidesuperlative

1. used for something that reaches across an entire county rather than staying in o

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used for something that reaches across an entire county rather than staying in one town or district.

Example

Countywide flood warnings were sent to phones before sunrise.

attributive use before nouns

Marisol helped organize a countywide food drive after the storms.

Common collocations
  • countywide warning
  • countywide curfew
  • countywide election
  • countywide program
  • countywide food drive
Synonyms
  • county-wide

    hyphenated spelling of the same adjective, less common in newer style guides

  • area-wide

    broader and less exact because the area may not match county borders

Antonyms
  • local

    limited to one town, neighborhood, or small service area

  • statewide

    covers a larger area than one county

Grammar Patterns

countywide + noun

Usage Note

Usually placed before nouns such as 'warning', 'curfew', 'program', or 'election' when the coverage includes every part of one county.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Countywide' means that something covers one county as an administrative area. It is broader than 'local', which often points to one town, neighborhood, or service area, but it is narrower than 'statewide' or 'nationwide'. Writers often use 'countywide' for elections, bus passes, emergency alerts, charity drives, and public programs that reach several towns under the same county government. In news writing, it usually comes before a noun, as in a countywide warning or countywide cleanup. If the action affects every county in a state, 'statewide' is the better choice.

countywide ↗local ↗statewide ↗nationwide ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchOld EnglishEnglish

Formed from 'county' and 'wide'. 'County' entered English through Anglo-French from Latin roots tied to a district ruled by a count, while 'wide' comes from Old English and means broad in area. Together they make a compound adjective for something that reaches every part of one county.