largely
Americanadverb
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to a great extent; in great part; generally; chiefly.
The plan depends largely on his willingness to cooperate. That is largely incorrect.
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in great quantity; much.
adverb
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principally; to a great extent
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on a large scale or in a large manner
Etymology
Origin of largely
Explanation
Use the adverb largely to mean "mostly." You might say that you're largely pleased with the way your favorite baseball team played this season if they won more games than they lost. If a group art project was largely completed at your house, that means you primarily worked on it there, and when a once-popular novelist is largely forgotten, she's generally fallen out of favor with today's readers. Largely is a useful alternative to "mostly," "mainly," or "chiefly," and it comes from the adjective large, in Old French "broad, wide, or generous," from a Latin root, largus, "abundant, plentiful, bountiful, or liberal."
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.
The jet stream is largely responsible for developing and delivering our stormier pressure systems.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Preorders for the iPhone Duo began Friday, marking Apple’s debut in a foldable smartphone market largely dominated by Samsung and Google.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Preorders for the iPhone Duo began Friday, marking Apple’s debut in a foldable phone market largely dominated by Samsung and Google.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
But largely speaking, my view of him was positive.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Historically, we’ve seen movement north in the summer and south in the winter. But I think the fact that we are seeing so many lately is largely due to the increasing seal populations.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
