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Synonyms

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.

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]

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.

At large scales, radio data reveal that the jet forms a helical pattern as it propagates through the galaxy.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2026

At large video game studios, information about game development is tightly controlled - with employees often signing agreements not to share confidential information.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

At large enough numbers, they can keep other species like black bears in check.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

At large scales, we see stars, galaxies, supernovae and black holes; at medium scale, we see molecules, DNA, proteins, molecular machinery and life itself.

From Scientific American • Jul. 1, 2023

At large gatherings in the country it is proper for the lady to introduce her guests to each other, and it is perfectly proper to do this without asking permission of either party.

From Manners and Social Usages by Sherwood, Mrs. John M. E. W.

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.