What does spread mean?
To spread something is to extend, distribute, or arrange it over a broad area or among a group of people. The verb can describe physical actions, as in spreading butter on toast, or abstract processes, as in spreading information, influence, or risk. It can also be intransitive: a crowd may spread out, a smell may spread through a building, or news may spread rapidly through a community. As a noun, a spread is an act, range, disparity, or a meal laid out for several people. In the adjective form, “spread” means dispersed, extended, or widely circulated, while “spread” in business and finance can describe a substantial quantity available for sale. Its usefulness lies in its ability to describe both deliberate arrangement and uncontrolled expansion, from the spread of a map to the spread of a disease.
To extend, distribute, or arrange something over a wide area or among a group.
"Please spread the chairs apart."
The verb can be transitive or intransitive. It may describe either deliberate arrangement or an uncontrolled process.
The act or result of spreading; a range or disparity; or a large selection of food arranged for a group.
"The spread of the virus was limited by the vaccination program."
In financial contexts, a spread is the difference between two related prices or rates. The singular form “a spread” is also common in business for a product available in large quantities.
Widely dispersed, extended, circulated, or commercially available in substantial quantities.
"The report led to a spread of rumors across the community."
This form is often used attributively, especially in business and financial language.
The plural is used for separate acts or instances of spreading, ranges or differences, and large selections or quantities.
"The newspaper reported wide spreads in income across the region."
From an Old English word that developed into a global metaphor: information, disease, butter, and wealth can all be spread.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spread come from?
The word comes from Old English spreodan, meaning to scatter or spread out, and developed through Middle English into its modern verb and noun forms. Its wider relatives include words such as sporadic and sprinkle, which belong to a family associated with scattering or dispersing. The modern sense of extending something over a surface, as in spreading paint or butter, developed alongside the older senses of distributing, publishing, or making widely known.
Related word forms
How spread is actually used
The word is extremely flexible and is common in both formal and informal contexts. “Spread” can suggest deliberate distribution, as in “spread the cost,” while in “the rumor spread” it can describe an uncontrolled or gradual dissemination. In finance and business, “spread” often means a difference between two prices or rates, as in a bid–ask spread.
Easily confused with spread
To spread something over a surface is to distribute it broadly, while to spray it is to apply it in a fine mist or stream of droplets.