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 British Beer and Pub Association and UKHospitality have also campaigned against pub closures, with both largely blaming tax rises and other costs.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The food system in the U.S. — largely built around speed and convenience — doesn’t exactly align with home-cooked meals leisurely shared with those you love.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
In his opinion, if Diablo were to shut down in 2030 as currently scheduled, it would largely be replaced with natural gas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Oil futures rose $1.15, or 1.4%, to $82.40 a barrel as the Strait of Hormuz remained largely shut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
We find these virtues everywhere in discussions of Evidence-Indices, while they are largely irrelevant in discussions of Evidence-Perspicuity.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
