by and large

adverb

Definition of by and largenext
as in mostly
for the most part by and large, that information is accurate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of by and large Attorneys have said those relationships are by and large unethical, but also rare. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 The Montblanc Collection is a fantastic ode to the label’s heritage, but a warming and wintry one by and large (leather, patchouli, oud, incense). — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 25 June 2026 People tend to vote their individual economic interests, but the only people who really had a stake in this were, by and large, not residents of the city of San Diego. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 And Disneyland’s recent attraction updates have by and large been winners, as evidenced by the lovely Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the exploratory Adventureland Treehouse and the bewitching Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for by and large
Recent Examples of Synonyms for by and large
  1. mostly
  2. mainly
  3. primarily
  4. chiefly
  5. largely
  6. predominantly
  7. basically
  8. principally
Adverb
  • Politics have mostly been irrelevant (well, until yesterday’s red-card controversy), and many Americans have briefly set aside their red-versus-blue differences to rally together in the nation’s swirly red, white, and blue soccer kits.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Hargitay reps a unique choice by NBC and the Television Academy for hosting the Emmys, which in recent years has stuck mostly with standups, late night hosts or comedic actors.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • The maintenance cycle appears to be driven mainly by univoltine Aedes species, mosquitoes that produce a single brood per year.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Ernest Shackleton, an Irish explorer, is remembered mainly for the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Their tropical cocktails and frozen delights are easily crushable, primarily made with vodka, mezcal, rum and tequila.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • Although Chicago had its issues with redlining and massive disinvestment that left generational scars on some primarily Black neighborhoods, the small town ethos held little sway over me.
    — Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • Advertisement Sea Rangers restore seagrass chiefly in the Dutch Eastern Scheldt and French Étang de Berre.
    — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026
  • Larson has clashed chiefly with Bronin — rather than his other two opponents — during the campaign.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • Catholicism was largely presented as favorable; Jehovah’s Witnesses, not so much.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Austria had one good look — a header that just missed — but largely been kept at bay.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • The 678 cases have predominantly been confirmed the southeast region of Michigan including Wayne County, where Detroit is located.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 July 2026
  • The neighborhood attracted a predominantly working-class community of Black families who lived in modest single-family houses.
    — Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 6 July 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Gabriella paid off most of his entourage to leave him and the band alone and is now basically his own private Joe Jackson, pressuring him to record nonstop.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • First, Season 4 basically just dropped a lot of characters from the central story.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of basically
Adverb
  • Oppenheimer’s note was principally focused, fitting for a global strategist, on how equity returns will be reshaped in a new regime.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
  • The laser targeted one of three ground stations, principally NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Facility in California, with a third, experimental ground station at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

by-and-bys
by and large
by-blow
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/by%20and%20large. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on by and large

Nglish: Translation of by and large for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All