by and large

adverb

: on the whole : in general

Did you know?

By and large means “in general” or "on the whole" in most contexts, but in sailors’ lingo of yore, whence the phrase arose, by and large described a vessel alternately sailing as directly into the wind as possible (typically within about 45 degrees of the wind)—that is, by—and away from the direction from which the wind is blowing, with the wind hitting the vessel’s widest point—that is, large. (Note that this by also appears in the term full and by: "sailing as directly into the wind as possible and with all sails full.") William Bourne’s 1578 book Inventions or Devises offers insight into the phrase’s original use: “… to make a ship to draw or go but little into the water, and to hold a good wind, and to sail well both by and large, were very necessary …” As has happened with much nautical jargon, the phrase eventually came ashore. By and large, landlubbers welcomed it, first in the sense "in many directions" or "in all ways," and ultimately with its present meaning of "in general."

Examples of by and large in a Sentence

by and large, that information is accurate

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.

Because, by and large, celebrities are generally more well-known by the public. —

Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024 Our industry, by and large, is going through a change — not just the doc space, but the narrative space as well. —

Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2024 Since then nature has, by and large, healed those wounds, Rothrock said. —

Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Nov. 2024 Advisers concentrated on activating this cohort, which, by and large, saw Biden as an elderly man who shouldn’t be President. —

Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for by and large