large
Americanadjective
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of more than average size, quantity, degree, etc.; exceeding that which is common to a kind or class; big; great.
a large house; a large number; in large measure; to a large extent.
- Antonyms:
- small
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on a great scale.
a large producer of kitchen equipment.
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of great scope or range; extensive; broad.
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grand or pompous.
a man given to large, bombastic talk.
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(of a map, model, etc.) representing the features of the original with features of its own that are relatively large so that great detail may be shown.
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famous; successful; important.
He's very large in financial circles.
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Obsolete. generous; bountiful; lavish.
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Obsolete.
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unrestrained in the use of language; gross; improper.
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unrestrained in behavior or manner; uninhibited.
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Nautical. free.
noun
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Music. the longest note in mensural notation.
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Obsolete. generosity; bounty.
adverb
idioms
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at large,
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free from restraint or confinement; at liberty.
The murderer is still at large.
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to a considerable extent; at length.
to treat a subject at large.
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as a whole; in general.
the country at large.
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Also at-large representing the whole of a state, district, or body rather than one division or part of it.
a delegate at large.
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Also at-large having a general, as opposed to a specific, role in an organization or project.
She’s the magazine’s editor-at-large.
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in large, on a large scale; from a broad point of view: Also in the large
a problem seen in large.
adjective
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having a relatively great size, quantity, extent, etc; big
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of wide or broad scope, capacity, or range; comprehensive
a large effect
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having or showing great breadth of understanding
a large heart
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nautical (of the wind) blowing from a favourable direction
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rare overblown; pretentious
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generous
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obsolete (of manners and speech) gross; rude
noun
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(esp of a dangerous criminal or wild animal) free; not confined
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roaming freely, as in a foreign country
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as a whole; in general
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in full detail; exhaustively
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See ambassador
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as a totality or on a broad scale
adverb
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nautical with the wind blowing from a favourable direction
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(sentence modifier) generally; as a rule
by and large, the man is the breadwinner
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nautical towards and away from the wind
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to be very prominent or important
Usage
What are other ways to say large?
Something that is large is of more than average size, quantity, or degree. How does large compare to great and big? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of large
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin larga, feminine of largus “ample, generous”
Explanation
Large means the size of an item, such as clothing, that falls between medium and extra-large. If you realize your size has changed from medium to large, it might be time to cut back on the cupcakes. Something that is above average in size or number can be described with the adjective large. Your large collection of bottle caps, which covers the walls of three rooms in your house, is a perfect example. Large also describes something that covers a broad spectrum or scope. You might love being an American studies major because your classes cover a large range of topics.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Because dreams are highly personal and often difficult to describe, they have traditionally been challenging to investigate on a large scale.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
If these clouds then become large enough, they can produce their own lightning, which can then start new fires.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The real turning point was in 2017, marked by the publication of a paper out of Google called “Attention Is All You Need,” which introduced the architecture behind today’s large language models.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Ratios of many large regional banks trail the levels of such Wall Street banks as Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
He wears a large brass buckle with, I think, tiny stars and CS.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
According to the model, planets as large as Jupiter or larger should tend to develop compact systems containing several moons.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The educator aims to raise awareness among visitors about the plight of the animals, as fewer whale sightings is just a harbinger of larger negative changes to come to the marine ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
He said that in coming years, groups might take advantage of AI to formulate much larger attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Long-read sequencing allows researchers to examine much larger, continuous pieces of a genome.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
“No, but we have a balloon of our own, even larger than this one. It is on its way but is not here yet.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
The Jodrell Bank Observatory, which has housed the UK's largest telescope for nearly 70 years, has lost its funding and could now close, the BBC understands.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The wildfires ravaging areas around Spain's capital Madrid have included the largest forest fire in the country's recent history, Sara Aagesen, Minister for Ecological Transition, told journalists.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Japan remains the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt at roughly $1.2 trillion.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Still, it is never easy to compete with the largest banks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
It is the largest vessel I have ever seen.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
