by and large

adverb

1. in general; on the whole

Word History and Origins

Origin of by and large¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

But by and large, after those months in the public eye, Gisèle was able to regain the privacy she had been denied for so long.

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But by and large, I got to do a lot of what I wanted to do.

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But by and large, if you made even a cursory effort at keeping up with TV this year, you’ll know the winners already.

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But by and large, yes, it’s in the lead up to the first album and the tour that followed that, as far as I can tell.

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The party set out to try to dominate the political conversation when others often take a break and by and large they achieved that.

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Related Words

• commonly 
• consistently 
• customarily www.thesaurus.com
• frequently 
• generally 
• mostly 
• naturally 
• normally 
• occasionally 
• often 
• ordinarily 
• regularly 
• routinely 
• sometimes