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by and large

adverb

in general; on the whole

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Word History and Origins

Origin of by and large¹

C17: originally nautical (meaning: to the wind and off it)

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Idioms and Phrases

For the most part, generally speaking, as in By and large the novel was a success . This expression originated in 17th-century seamanship, where it referred to sailing into the wind and then off it, which made it easier to steer. By the early 1700s the term had been broadened to mean “in one direction and another,” whence its present meaning of “in general.” For a synonym, see for the most part .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The timid and cowardly do have a point, though: Americans, by and large, remain horrid on the issue of treating immigrants with dignity.

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But by and large the position is untouched.

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Republicans by and large have been sticking with the president.

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"Where we are at the moment is that the East Europeans by and large, don't need to get the memo," says Ian Bond, deputy director, Centre for European Reform.

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To welcome the appellation of "b***h" is confounding on the face of it, since it was by and large recognized as a profane term of abuse.

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Related Words

altogether

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

by-and-by by any means

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