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:
And if the S&P 500 and U.S. large caps are only a smallish part of your overall stock-market portfolio, it doesn’t apply to you either.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Next to it was a dairy store where cream cheese was cut from large slabs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
He also predicted that the number could shrink as candidates faced pressure to raise large sums needed for the primary contests that will decide the party's nominee.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
But I suspect large numbers of people are pinning the lion’s share of their hopes on the S&P 500 simply because that’s what history and Wall Street conventional wisdom recommends.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
It was a large table model with an ornate shell-shaped speaker and it brought us many years of joy.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Mr. Mikaberidze stresses larger consequences of the purchase, from the extension of slavery to the dispossession of Indian nations whose lands had been sold out from under their feet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
In his view, investors who are negative on Micron’s stock are missing the larger picture of how much demand will grow as AI adoption continues to spread.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
The maximum-correctional facility is part of a larger jail complex known as Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Longer and larger studies are needed to determine whether the findings translate into lasting health benefits or changes in cardiovascular disease risk.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
“Or maybe an attorney about tracking down more of our family? Or are you looking into real estate, maybe searching for a larger room to rent?”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
One estimate has them winning 258 seats, their largest majority since 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The largest amount he owes in debt is $979,837 to crash victim Kathryn Kuykendall, the remainder of a $1 million settlement from last year that has not yet been garnished from Rice’s wages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The S&P 500 sank 4.4%, booking its largest loss of market value on record.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Outlays on data centres to train and power artificial intelligence models have become one of the main growth engines for the US economy, the world's largest.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
The bright sky darkens as if the color is being sucked up by the world’s largest vacuum.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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