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)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

by and large

But by and large, he’s been a huge disappointment.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

Wall Street by and large laid low in its criticisms of Zohran Mamdani’s first few months as New York City’s mayor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

"It's by and large unifying, in terms of the social impact."

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

"Australians can do American pretty well by and large, because we come from a fairly neutral place," she said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

Previously, Everest had by and large been the province of elite mountaineers.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

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