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A method is considered theoretical if no known real-world examples exist and no practical demonstrations have been done to show with certainty that the method is effective. (They might teach you about in graduate school.)
A method is considered to be demonstrated if there are examples of real-world applications of the method, either in realistic demonstrations or in day-to-day use, but if the method is not widely enough used to be almost universally recognized in the computing industry. (They would probably teach you about it in a normal IT auditing class.)
A method is considered to be widespread if a significant portion of the computing community is aware of and/or has experienced the method. Like a household word in the computing industry - although our term for it is probably more obscure. (You might even read about it in the newspaper.)