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

“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

Homeless folks in Grants Pass—who, by and large, are from Grants Pass—face constant surveillance, threats, and harassment.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 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

“Quite frankly, Californians are, by and large, looking for viable alternatives. They’re looking towards the California Republican Party,” Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told reporters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

They were not, by and large, the newer officers at Sing Sing, the ones I worked with in B-block.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

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