at large

Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the election of public officials by an entire governmental unit rather than by subdivisions of the unit. For example, a delegate at large does not represent any specific district or locale, but speaks instead for a much wider group of people.

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at large Idioms  

1. Free, unconfined, especially not confined in prison, as in To our distress, the housebreakers were still at large . [1300s]

2. At length, fully; also, as a whole, in general. For example, The chairman talked at large about the company's plans for the coming year , or, as Shakespeare wrote in Love's Labour's Lost (1:1): “So to the laws at large I write my name” (that is, I uphold the laws in general). This usage is somewhat less common. [1400s]

3. Elected to represent an entire group of voters rather than those in a particular district or other segment—for example, alderman at large , representing all the wards of a city instead of just one, or delegate at large to a labor union convention . [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

It was a worrying sign after what had been a startlingly strong end to 2025 for both the healthcare sector at large, and biotech and drug stocks in particular.

From Barron's

When looking at large technology companies, Thill said he sees Microsoft levered to “the broadest AI tailwinds.”

From MarketWatch

As students arrived on campus on a recent morning, they pointed their phone cameras at large QR code posters placed around entrances.

From Los Angeles Times

Earnings results from the largest U.S. banks—including JPMorgan Chase & Co., which is slated to report fourth-quarter figures on Jan. 13—will kick-start earnings season at large.

From Barron's

Currently, no arrests have been made and the perpetrators remain at large.

From BBC

Related Words

• able
• clear
• easy
• independent
• loose
• open
• unfettered
• unrestricted