large-scale
Americanadjective
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very extensive or encompassing; of great scope.
a large-scale business plan.
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made to a large scale.
a large-scale map.
adjective
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wide-ranging or extensive
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(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:
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Hospital of Emotions is a large-scale immersive pop-up exhibition in Los Angeles, where art, architecture and emotion come together inside a real hospital building.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
A spokesperson for Live Nation told the BBC they "recognise large-scale festivals can be intense environments, and that some fans may need additional support at different points during the weekend".
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Solar companies that sell to utilities and other large-scale power developers can profit off the boom in electricity demand spurred by artificial-intelligence data centers and other sources.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
The first modern excavation, led by the American Society for the Excavation of Sardis in the early 20th century, was "a really large-scale exploitation," Alexandridis said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026
Cultures rise and fall, but there is no other known time when a large-scale society disintegrated—and was replaced by nothing.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
