large
Americanadjective
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larger,
comparative
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largest
superlative
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of more than average size, quantity, degree, etc.; exceeding that which is common to a kind or class; big; great.
a large house; a large number; in large measure; to a large extent.
- Antonyms:
- small
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on a great scale.
a large producer of kitchen equipment.
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of great scope or range; extensive; broad.
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grand or pompous.
a man given to large, bombastic talk.
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(of a map, model, etc.) representing the features of the original with features of its own that are relatively large so that great detail may be shown.
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famous; successful; important.
He's very large in financial circles.
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Obsolete. generous; bountiful; lavish.
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Obsolete.
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unrestrained in the use of language; gross; improper.
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unrestrained in behavior or manner; uninhibited.
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Nautical. free.
noun
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Music. the longest note in mensural notation.
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Obsolete. generosity; bounty.
adverb
idioms
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at large,
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free from restraint or confinement; at liberty.
The murderer is still at large.
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to a considerable extent; at length.
to treat a subject at large.
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as a whole; in general.
the country at large.
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Also at-large representing the whole of a state, district, or body rather than one division or part of it.
a delegate at large.
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Also at-large having a general, as opposed to a specific, role in an organization or project.
She’s the magazine’s editor-at-large.
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in large, on a large scale; from a broad point of view: Also in the large
a problem seen in large.
adjective
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having a relatively great size, quantity, extent, etc; big
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of wide or broad scope, capacity, or range; comprehensive
a large effect
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having or showing great breadth of understanding
a large heart
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nautical (of the wind) blowing from a favourable direction
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rare overblown; pretentious
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generous
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obsolete (of manners and speech) gross; rude
noun
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(esp of a dangerous criminal or wild animal) free; not confined
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roaming freely, as in a foreign country
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as a whole; in general
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in full detail; exhaustively
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See ambassador
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as a totality or on a broad scale
adverb
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nautical with the wind blowing from a favourable direction
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(sentence modifier) generally; as a rule
by and large, the man is the breadwinner
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nautical towards and away from the wind
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to be very prominent or important
Usage
What are other ways to say large?
Something that is large is of more than average size, quantity, or degree. How does large compare to great and big? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of large
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin larga, feminine of largus “ample, generous”
Explanation
Large means the size of an item, such as clothing, that falls between medium and extra-large. If you realize your size has changed from medium to large, it might be time to cut back on the cupcakes. Something that is above average in size or number can be described with the adjective large. Your large collection of bottle caps, which covers the walls of three rooms in your house, is a perfect example. Large also describes something that covers a broad spectrum or scope. You might love being an American studies major because your classes cover a large range of topics.
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.
See Examples For:
He is also the former laird - a Scottish term for someone owning a large long-established estate - of the Hebridean island of Gigha.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted Zelensky in Calgary in the western province of Alberta, where the Canadian leader grew up among a large community of people with Ukrainian heritage.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
That excludes large states like California, New York and Pennsylvania.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Ehrsam sought access to Venezuela’s large heavy oil fields in the Boca, Guico and Guara blocks in the Orinoco Belt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Near the back door, he picked up a large rock.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Maybe you’ve wondered why Greenland and Africa look roughly the same size on such maps, when Africa is actually 14 times larger, or why Antarctica looks infinitely large, when that isn’t true in real life.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Higher oil prices support fiscal revenue through stronger petroleum receipts and potentially larger dividends from Petronas, while lower prices provide relief by reducing fuel-subsidy costs, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It’s typically less processed, with larger, irregular grains, and retains other minerals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The format essentially combines the portability of a smartphone with the larger display of a tablet, offering users a bigger screen without carrying a tablet-sized device.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
But on this much larger scale, those ripples form a tsunami.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
California, home to the world’s largest tech companies, is placing more guardrails around social media and artificial intelligence as child safety concerns escalate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Alstom, which boasts the largest rolling stock train manufacturing site outside of China, secured a £370m contract in 2024 to produce 10 new London Elizabeth line trains.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Germany, the largest EU economy, supports talks towards a European Union free trade deal with the Emirates.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
When asked about the likelihood of the Nuveen High Yield funds taking credit losses, Close said, “We have the largest credit team on the buy side. We have historically experienced less than 1% default rates.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Clare collapsed into the largest seat at the table, looking around at the cottage.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
