government-wide
Meaning
Extending across or involving an entire government or all its departments and agencies.
Structure
Usage
The new ethics policy applies on a government-wide basis.
They conducted a government-wide review of spending efficiency.
Achieving this goal requires a government-wide strategy and commitment.
Etymology
The compound "government-wide" is a modern administrative term formed by combining two native English elements. The first element, "government," traces back through Old French to the Latin gubernare, meaning "to steer or pilot a ship," a metaphor for the act of ruling that entered English in the 14th century. The second element, "wide," originates from the Old English wīd, signifying broad spatial extent. When combined, the term logically constructs the meaning of something applying across the entire breadth of the governing apparatus, evolving from the literal concepts of steering and breadth to describe comprehensive, cross-departmental scope in a bureaucratic context.
Analysis
- government: From Old French governement, based on Latin gubernare (to steer, to govern). Functions as the base noun denoting the governing body. - wide: From Old English wīd (spacious, extensive). Functions as a combining form meaning "throughout the whole extent of."