1
: identical to an original in proportion and size
full-scale drawing
2
a
: involving full use of available resources
a full-scale biography
full-scale war
b
: total, complete
a full-scale musical renaissanceCurrent Biography

Examples of full-scale in a Sentence

a full-scale search and rescue for the victims of the rock slide
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Nearly three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has brought no shortage of complicated twists and turns. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 Eventually, projection mapping graduated from brief interludes to full-scale storytelling. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024 The shift towards the use of AI, particularly in drone target finding and flight control, is an important emerging front in the technology race that has unfolded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Max Hunder, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2024 The country has been starved of Hollywood fare since the studios began their boycott of the Russian market in the wake of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for full-scale 

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of full-scale was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near full-scale

Cite this Entry

“Full-scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full-scale. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

full-scale

adjective
ˈfu̇l-ˈskā(ə)l
1
: identical to an original in size
2
: not limited in any way : using everything that can be used
a full-scale war
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!