Synonyms of at-largenext
: relating to or being a political representative who is elected to serve an entire area rather than one of its subdivisions
an at-large city councilor
an at-large election

at large

2 of 2

phrase

1
a
: free of restraint or confinement
the escaped prisoner is still at large
b
: without a specific subject or assignment
critic at large
2
: as a whole
society at large
3
: as the political representative of or to a whole area rather than of one of its subdivisions
—used in combination with a preceding noun
a congressman-at-large
4
: at length
5
: in a general way

Examples of at-large in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Keith Larson, at-large, and Aurora Mayor John Laesch left the meeting during the OnLight discussions due to their involvement on the OnLight board. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 Raven Chacon will serve as curator-at-large, while Osei Bonsu, Timea Junghaus, and Noam Segal will be curatorial advisers. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Phrase
This creates a truly enormous explosion of energy that barrels into the galaxy at large like a tsunami. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026 For example, health plans at large companies had a $1,772 average annual deductible for an individual employee, while small workplaces averaged $2,624. — Julie Appleby, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at-large

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1962, in the meaning defined above

Phrase

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of at-large was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At-large.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at-large. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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