large
Americanadjective
-
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
-
on a great scale.
a large producer of kitchen equipment.
-
of great scope or range; extensive; broad.
-
grand or pompous.
a man given to large, bombastic talk.
-
(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.
-
famous; successful; important.
He's very large in financial circles.
-
Obsolete. generous; bountiful; lavish.
-
Obsolete.
-
unrestrained in the use of language; gross; improper.
-
unrestrained in behavior or manner; uninhibited.
-
-
Nautical. free.
noun
-
Music. the longest note in mensural notation.
-
Obsolete. generosity; bounty.
adverb
idioms
-
at large,
-
free from restraint or confinement; at liberty.
The murderer is still at large.
-
to a considerable extent; at length.
to treat a subject at large.
-
as a whole; in general.
the country at large.
-
Also at-large representing the whole of a state, district, or body rather than one division or part of it.
a delegate at large.
-
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.
-
-
in large, on a large scale; from a broad point of view: Also in the large
a problem seen in large.
adjective
-
having a relatively great size, quantity, extent, etc; big
-
of wide or broad scope, capacity, or range; comprehensive
a large effect
-
having or showing great breadth of understanding
a large heart
-
nautical (of the wind) blowing from a favourable direction
-
rare overblown; pretentious
-
generous
-
obsolete (of manners and speech) gross; rude
noun
-
-
(esp of a dangerous criminal or wild animal) free; not confined
-
roaming freely, as in a foreign country
-
as a whole; in general
-
in full detail; exhaustively
-
See ambassador
-
-
as a totality or on a broad scale
adverb
-
nautical with the wind blowing from a favourable direction
-
-
(sentence modifier) generally; as a rule
by and large, the man is the breadwinner
-
nautical towards and away from the wind
-
-
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
- largeness noun
- overlarge adjective
- ultralarge adjective
- unlarge adjective
Etymology
Origin of large
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin larga, feminine of largus “ample, generous”
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.
Under the right investment conditions, Venezuela’s vast resource base would be an attractive prize to the industry’s largest operators.
From Barron's
Oracle stock was up 7.3% at $193.16 on Friday and was on pace for its largest percentage increase since Sept. 10, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
From Barron's
“We don’t need to buy revenue, we don’t have any large loss of exclusivity events. But we believe that actually assets are worth more in our hands than where they are sitting right now.”
From Barron's
Experts say it hasn’t been achieved on a large scale because the process is volatile and expensive.
From Los Angeles Times
Following restoration work which took place last year, Gualtieri introduced a queuing system to prevent large crowds massing around the landmark.
From BBC
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.
