ubiquitous

adjective

ubiq·ui·tous | \ yü-ˈbi-kwə-təs

Definition of ubiquitous

: existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread a ubiquitous fashion

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Did You Know?

Ubiquitous comes to us from the noun ubiquity, meaning "presence everywhere or in many places simultaneously." Ubiquity first appeared in print in the late 16th century, but ubiquitous didn't make an appearance until 1830. (Another noun form, ubiquitousness, arrived around 1874.) Both words are ultimately derived from the Latin word for "everywhere," which is ubique. Ubiquitous, which has often been used with a touch of exaggeration for things and people that seem to turn up everywhere, has become a more widespread and popular word than ubiquity. It may not quite be ubiquitous, but if you keep your eyes and ears open, you're apt to encounter the word ubiquitous quite a bit.

Examples of ubiquitous in a Sentence

Hot dogs are the ideal road trip food—inexpensive, portable, ubiquitous. — Paul Lucas, Saveur, June/July 2008 Shawarma is the new street meat. Both a late night favourite and a quick lunch classic, the Middle Eastern dish is now ubiquitous on the streets of Toronto. — Chris Dart, Torontoist, 8 Feb. 2007 In major league locker rooms, ice packs are ubiquitous appendages for pitchers, who wrap their shoulder or elbow or both, the better to calm muscles, ligaments and tendons that have been stressed by the unnatural act of throwing a baseball. — Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 26 Mar. 2007 It was before the day of the ubiquitous automobile. Given one of those present adjuncts to farm life, John would have ended his career much earlier. As it was, they found him lying by the roadside at dawn one morning after the horses had trotted into the yard with the wreck of the buggy bumping the road behind them. — Edna Ferber, "Farmer in the Dell," 1919, in One Basket, 1949 The company's advertisements are ubiquitous. by that time cell phones had become ubiquitous, and people had long ceased to be impressed by the sight of one

Recent Examples on the Web

Queen didn’t need a victory lap, as its rock 'n' roll pantheon status has long been evident through the band’s ubiquitous presence in pop culture over the course of five decades. — Althea Legaspi, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Queen and Adam Lambert reigned triumphant during a dazzling United Center performance," 10 Aug. 2019 Attacks by armed groups and violent pushback from locals frustrated by the ubiquitous presence of health workers have forced the international response to pause from time to time, allowing the outbreak to grow. — Max Bearak, Washington Post, "WHO declares Ebola in Congo to be emergency of ‘international concern’," 17 July 2019 Sutter’s role is in an advisory capacity, and he is not expected to have a ubiquitous presence at games. — Curtis Zupke, latimes.com, "Former Kings coach Darryl Sutter hired as advisor to Ducks’ coaching staff," 2 July 2019 John became a ubiquitous musical presence in New Orleans. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Dr. John, dead at 77: Revisit our 2017 & 1989 interviews with Rock Hall of Famer," 7 June 2019 Enter the fire diamond, the now ubiquitous, universally understood symbol of chemical safety. — Stephen Nowicki, WIRED, "Big Tech Needs to Use Hazardous Materials Warnings," 10 Aug. 2019 After the smartphone became ubiquitous, personal communication moved to messaging and apps. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "Work Ruined Email," 2 Aug. 2019 The touchscreen has become ubiquitous; the touchscreen has become blasé. — Wired, "Google's New Gesture Controls Aren't Just for the Pixel," 30 July 2019 Quotes from the book and the series, as well as these characters' oxblood red dresses and white bonnets, have crossed over to become ubiquitous at protests of our current government. — Whitney Friedlander, CNN, "'The Handmaid's Tale' renewed for Season 4," 26 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ubiquitous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for ubiquitous

ubiquitous

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of ubiquitous

: seeming to be seen everywhere

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ubiquitous

Definition of ubiquitous

Other Words from ubiquitous

Synonyms & Antonyms for ubiquitous

Did You Know?

Examples of ubiquitous in a Sentence

First Known Use of ubiquitous

History and Etymology for ubiquitous

English Language Learners Definition of ubiquitous

ubiquitous

Definition of ubiquitous

Other Words from ubiquitous

Synonyms & Antonyms for ubiquitous

Did You Know?

Examples of ubiquitous in a Sentence

First Known Use of ubiquitous

History and Etymology for ubiquitous

English Language Learners Definition of ubiquitous

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