by and large

British  

adverb

1. in general; on the whole

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by and large Idioms  

1. For the most part, generally speaking, as in By and large the novel was a success. This expression originated in 17th-century seamanship, where it referred to sailing into the wind and then off it, which made it easier to steer. By the early 1700s the term had been broadened to mean “in one direction and another,” whence its present meaning of “in general.” For a synonym, see for the most part.

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Etymology

Origin of by and large

C17: originally nautical (meaning: to the wind and off it)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

by and large

There were flashes of promise, but by and large it was a shaky debut season, one that did not live up to Antonelli's billing as potentially the next generational talent.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

But, by and large, that’s how you would use him.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

The global oil market is under stress from the Iran war, but by and large it does a good job of matching supply and demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

“In general … people who want to work, by and large, are holding or finding jobs,” Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said on Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Most often, before blowing the tunnels, they were ordered by higher command to search them, which was considered bad news, but by and large they just shrugged and carried out orders.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

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Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• customarily
• frequently
• generally
• mostly
• naturally
• normally
• occasionally
• often
• ordinarily
• regularly
• routinely
• sometimes

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