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.
Another large-scale outbreak was reported in 2011, with more than 500 cases, when five people died after consuming meat from infected hippos.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Still, experts say humanoid robots are still many years away from large-scale use in wars as the technology and regulations around them need to evolve further.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
He noted that Dell has greater exposure to large-scale orders for AI servers, while HPE has strength from its broad networking and enterprise infrastructure offerings.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The technique is especially well suited to superconducting quantum computers, which are among the most prominent technologies being developed in the international push toward large-scale quantum computing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Until a large-scale conversion to these methods has been made, we shall have little relief from a situation that, by any common-sense standards, is intolerable.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
