The World Wide Web – Worldwide!

Worldwide (or simply ‖non-Worldwide) jurisdiction refers to all properties and possessions of the United Kingdom including all possessions and territories of Ireland, the United States, and Canada (excluding the Northern Mariana Islands). Therefore, for example, the United States does not own the islands of Palau nor does it have exclusive rights to the oil on the Islands. This international border has become a well-known political and trade irritant to the citizens of the countries around the world.

The phrase worldwide covers a great number of items. The most obvious being the entire globe. In order to describe a worldwide concept, one would need to describe each nation as having “a worldwide attitude.” However, the word “world” as an adjective does not always mean the entire planet.

In other contexts, the phrase can be used to refer to the whole world. For example, if someone were to say, “The world is my oyster,” this would be an example of the phrase “the world’s whole world.” However, when the individual is talking about the world as a whole, he/she would most likely use the expression “the world’s entire body.” This was a famous quotation by British statesman and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson in which he said, “You have seen the world, but you have not seen its whole.” In this quote, Emerson is trying to explain that when looking at the world, we should not forget that it consists of individuals and not just the entire globe.

It is very easy to make the mistake of thinking that the definition of worldwide encompasses the totality of the earth. The truth is, the globe is a very small part of the entire world. Therefore, the term “worldwide” does not actually mean the entire world. Some might argue that it is all we see. The truth is, there are several world cultures, with their own languages, traditions, foods, etc., so the term worldwide does not necessarily mean the entire world.

If we want to expand the phrase from “the world wide web” to include all of the online world wide web, then “the entire world wide web” would make more sense. Still, this is only a tiny part of what the internet truly is. The phrase is extremely vague, so it is important to make sure that the definition we are using is precise.

There are several websites that define the term worldwide. A quick internet search will reveal many more definitions, depending on the need. Whichever definition one uses, the point is to point out that the phrase is extremely broad, encompassing individuals and cultures from around the world. While the phrase may seem rather grand, it is only a small part of what makes the world a global community.