large
Americanadjective
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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:
According to the model, planets as large as Jupiter or larger should tend to develop compact systems containing several moons.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nolan shot the entire three-hour movie on 70mm film, a large, high-resolution format designed for giant Imax screens.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The real turning point was in 2017, marked by the publication of a paper out of Google called “Attention Is All You Need,” which introduced the architecture behind today’s large language models.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The decline is especially pronounced in large cities, according to a Journal analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Glancing up, he saw with a start that his fingers were a hair’s breadth away from a large splayed hand that had been hammer-etched deep into the stone.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
This suggests that computational tools may allow scientists to analyze much larger collections of dreams in a consistent and repeatable way.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
He also said volunteers are increasingly finding larger canisters rather than the smaller silver versions that were once more common.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The educator aims to raise awareness among visitors about the plight of the animals, as fewer whale sightings is just a harbinger of larger negative changes to come to the marine ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Amyndas Pharmaceuticals, a company founded by Lambris and spun off from Penn, is planning larger trials, says Lambris.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
For some reason she pictured the animal wearing Judge Quinzy’s thick and distorting glasses, which made its glinting amber eyes appear larger and more menacing than they already were.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
The pact represents Peacock’s largest wholesale distribution agreement to date, one that will introduce the service into millions of new homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
It is the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world, and its science was supercharged when it was connected to six other telescopes across central England, to create the e-MERLIN network.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
More than 160,000 foreign nationals have departed South Africa over the past two months, according to an AFP tally based on figures from repatriating governments, in one of the country's largest recent migrant exoduses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
PJM is the largest U.S. wholesale power market, covering 13 states and 67 million people.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
He turned the pages, past their parents’ cross-country drive and their picture next to the world’s largest ball of twine, past baby Cat, past the pictures of her and Rishi as toddlers.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
