largely
Americanadverb
-
to a great extent; in great part; generally; chiefly.
The plan depends largely on his willingness to cooperate. That is largely incorrect.
-
in great quantity; much.
adverb
-
principally; to a great extent
-
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.
Buckingham Palace assiduously avoids being drawn on the political issue of the day, and the king’s interventions are largely reserved for warm words of support for great endeavors or consolation during national tragedies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Stephen Cheung, chief executive of the LAEDC, said the growth in foreign businesses was largely driven by tech industries in Southern California and the Bay Area, including AI, aerospace, defense and life sciences.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Foundayo’s sluggish second week may be the first signal that Lilly could face competitive pressures in a market it has largely dominated.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Still, the stock is up 26% over the past year, thanks largely to a 17% spike in April.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Before the fifteenth century, paintings and drawings were largely flat and lifeless.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
