Ubiquitous
/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Ubiquitous describes something that is found or seen everywhere, or very common in many places. It often refers to objects, ideas, or technology that seem to be present all the time and in many locations.
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See It in Action
Present or found everywhere at the same time
- •Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life.
- •Fast food chains are ubiquitous in many cities around the world.
- •The internet is ubiquitous in most countries today.
Very common or widespread in a particular area or group
- •The use of social media is ubiquitous among teenagers.
- •Plastic waste is ubiquitous in the ocean.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'ubiquitous' like 'everywhere' (A1 word), but used as an adjective to describe things that are all around us
- ✓Picture a busy city street where you see many people using smartphones—smartphones feel like they are everywhere
- ✓It's the feeling of noticing something so often that you stop paying special attention because it is so common
- ✓Sounds like 'you-bick-wit-us' → imagine a 'you' that 'sticks' (bick) to everything and goes 'us' (with all people), meaning it is with everyone everywhere
- ✓Think of famous brands like Coca-Cola or fast food restaurants that you find in many countries—they are ubiquitous
- ✓NOT like 'rare' or 'unique' (very special and not common), ubiquitous means very common and found in many places
- ✓NOT like 'occasional' (happens sometimes), ubiquitous means happening or present all the time or in many places at once
Try Other Words
- •Common: found often or usual (Use when the thing is frequent but not necessarily in all places)
- •Widespread: spread over a large area or among many people (Use when emphasizing how far something has spread)
- •Everywhere: in all places (Use in informal or simple speech to mean the same as ubiquitous)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: 'ubi-' meaning 'where' or 'everywhere'
- •Root: 'quitous' from Latin 'ubique' meaning 'everywhere'
- •Etymology: From Latin 'ubiquitās,' meaning presence everywhere
- •Historical development: First used in English in the early 19th century to describe something found everywhere
- •Modern usage: Used to describe objects, ideas, or things that are very common or present in many places at the same time
Reflect & Connect
•What are some things in your daily life that you think are ubiquitous? Why do you think they are found everywhere?
•Can something be too ubiquitous, making it less special or less interesting? How does that affect how we feel about it?
Fill in the blanks
1.Smartphones are ubiquitous ___ many people use them every day.
2.The feeling that something is ubiquitous happens when you see it ___ times and in many places.
3.Unlike rare plants, common weeds are ubiquitous because they ___ in many environments.
4.When a product becomes ubiquitous, companies often try to ___ their brand to stand out.
5.Plastic pollution is ubiquitous ___ it can be found in oceans, rivers, and on land.
6.The internet is so ubiquitous that many people expect to have ___ access wherever they go.
7.Ubiquitous things are often described as being ___ everywhere or very widespread.