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 The film by and large follows the edicts of Iranian neorealism, with unobtrusive observations and a naturalistic soundscape. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 But by and large, the study was well received and widely cited in the field. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 School districts operate fleets of school buses; by and large, those also run on diesel, although some run on natural gas. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026 SpaceX has promised to adopt mitigation strategies in their filings, but other companies have not publicized plans for any mitigation efforts, and the FCC has declared that light pollution from satellites is, by and large, not under its control. — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 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
  • People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.
    — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Though their loss to the Vikings was mostly to a backup quarterback there as well.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • What to do nearby The Algarve is mainly populated with beach resorts—and most are much larger than this one.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Reps for Busfield, who has been out on bond and mainly on the East Coast since the beginning of the year, and his main lawyer Larry Stein did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the news.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • The system is primarily intended to counter small unmanned aircraft.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Their list consists primarily of interventions such as more per-pupil funding, banning cellphones and restricting artificial intelligence in the classroom.
    — Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The animation of the original series was overseen by three South Korean studios, chiefly JM Animation in the early seasons and MOI Animation in the latter ones.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • Advertisement France has never seen so many violent incidents in a movement made up largely of high school students.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Violent crime concentrates in poor neighborhoods, and largely because of our history, Black Americans are far more likely than white Americans to live in them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Some predominantly Muslim neighborhoods on the city's peripheries, with narrow and steep mazelike streets, have high crime rates.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • After seven years of promoting local businesses in San Francisco’s predominantly Latino Mission District, the nonprofit has a brick-and-mortar space that reflects its passion for the neighborhood.
    — Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • The new tech, which the company refers to as a magnetic coupling dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) road system, basically builds a wireless charging system into the roads themselves.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The prosecutor argued the beatings basically never stopped, claiming footage showed nannies beating one child, then turning their violence toward any of the other toddlers who wept while watching.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of basically
Adverb
  • That shift carries potential implications for concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, which has relied principally on federal support, particularly from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The whole city ends up bearing the brunt of astronomical housing prices that, whatever their other causes, are principally downstream from a housing market that quite simply cannot keep up with demand.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All