large-scale

American  

[lahrj-skeyl] / ˈlɑrdʒˈskeɪl /

adjective

1. very extensive or encompassing; of great scope.

   a large-scale business plan.

2. made to a large scale.

   a large-scale map.

---

large-scale British  

adjective

1. wide-ranging or extensive

2. (of maps and models) constructed or drawn to a big scale

---

Etymology

Origin of large-scale

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does large-scale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• large-scale vs. small-scale

Explanation

Anything described as large-scale is happening in a big way. A large-scale study of the benefits of dark chocolate would require many people and lots of time. And lots of chocolate. Yum. Scale has to do with size, so anything large-scale is huge. A large-scale ad campaign goes all around the country — and maybe around the world. A large-scale military campaign is one that might attack on multiple fronts. Cartoon villains who want to take over the world commit large-scale crimes. A large-scale commercial farm is gigantic, cranking out tons of food. The opposite of large-scale is small-scale.

Example Sentences

The cooperation has grown "to such a large scale that it eventually provided the US billions of dollars", Dayan said.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

But for a variety of psychological and emotional reasons, this is unlikely to happen on a large scale.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

That would require investment on a large scale, however, and clearly remains a long way off.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

The supplement uses amino acids that are already produced at large scale and are considered safe.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Despite the fact that the universe is so uniform and homogeneous on a large scale, it contains local irregularities, such as stars and galaxies.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• extensive
• huge
• large
• massive
• sizable
• substantial