at large

Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the election of public officials by an entire governmental unit rather than by subdivisions of the unit. For example, a delegate at large does not represent any specific district or locale, but speaks instead for a much wider group of people.

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at large Idioms  

1. Free, unconfined, especially not confined in prison, as in To our distress, the housebreakers were still at large . [1300s]

2. At length, fully; also, as a whole, in general. For example, The chairman talked at large about the company's plans for the coming year , or, as Shakespeare wrote in Love's Labour's Lost (1:1): “So to the laws at large I write my name” (that is, I uphold the laws in general). This usage is somewhat less common. [1400s]

3. Elected to represent an entire group of voters rather than those in a particular district or other segment—for example, alderman at large , representing all the wards of a city instead of just one, or delegate at large to a labor union convention . [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at large

Mexican special forces captured one of Guzmán López’s brothers, Ovidio, in 2023, and the other two brothers are still at large.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

It announced on Friday that it had arrested a number of suspects, but did not say how many remain at large.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

That challenge is familiar at large mining operations, where specialized teams manage ventilation and water systems.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

"If you happen to be getting married at MSG, you will be staying inside and staying cool, and I think it's a good example to set for the city at large," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

He wondered if the world at large could already see what he was seeing, a disaster mythical in scale and severity.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

• able
• clear
• easy
• independent
• loose
• open
• unfettered
• unrestricted