Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of greater than average size, extent, quantity, or amount; big.
- adjective Of greater than average scope, breadth, or capacity; comprehensive.
- adjective Important; significant.
- adjective Understanding and tolerant; liberal.
- adjective Of great magnitude or intensity; grand.
- adjective Pretentious; boastful. Used of speech or manners.
- adjective Obsolete Gross; coarse. Used of speech or language.
- adjective Nautical Favorable. Used of a wind.
- idiom (at large) Not in confinement or captivity; at liberty.
- idiom (at large) As a whole; in general.
- idiom (at large) Representing a nation, state, or district as a whole. Often used in combination.
- idiom (at large) Not assigned to a particular country. Often used in combination.
- idiom (at large) At length; copiously.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To get free.
- Largely; broadly; freely; with license.
- Fully; at large.
- Nautical, before the wind; with the wind free or on the quarter, or in such a direction that studding-sails will draw: as, to go or sail large.
- Full; at full; in all.
- “Big”; boastfully.
- Ample in dimensions, quantity, or number; having much size, bulk, volume, extent, capacity, scope, length, breadth, etc., absolutely or relatively; being of more than common measure; wide; broad; spacious; great; big; bulky: opposed to small or little, and used of both corporeal and incorporeal subjects: as, a large house, man, or ox; a large plain or river; a large supply, assembly, or number of people; to deal on a large scale or with large subjects; to seek a larger sphere; a man of large mind or heart; a large manner in painting; the largest liberty of action; to confer large powers upon an agent; large views.
- Full; complete.
- Ample or free in expenditure; liberal; lavish; prodigal; extravagant.
- Ample or liberal in words; diffuse; free; full; extended: applied to language.
- Free from restraint; being at large.
- Free from moral restraint; broad; licentious.
- Clamorous; boisterous; blatant.
- Free; favorable as regards direction; fair: applied to the wind. See large, adv., 3.
- Synonyms Big, etc. (see
great ); capacious, expansive, spacious. - noun Freedom; unrestraint: in the phrase at large (which see, below).
- noun In old musical notation, a note properly equivalent in value either to three or to two longs, according to the rhythm used. Also called a maxima or maxim. It was variously made, as when used at the end of a piece its time value was often indefinite.
- noun Bounty; largess.
- noun At liberty; without restraint or confinement: as, to go at large; to be left at large.
- noun At length; in or to the full extent; fully: as, to discourse on a subject at large.
- noun In general; as a whole; altogether.
- noun For the whole; free from the customary limitation. In the United States a congressman at large is one elected by the voters of a whole State instead of those of a single district; which is done when the existing apportionment by districts does not provide for all the representatives to which the State is entitled. In some places an alderman or a supervisor at large is elected by a whole city or county, in addition to those elected by wards or townships.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adverb obsolete Freely; licentiously.
- noun (Mus.) A musical note, formerly in use, equal to two longs, four breves, or eight semibreves.
- adjective Exceeding most other things of like kind in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great; capacious; extensive; -- opposed to
small - adjective Abundant; ample.
- adjective Full in statement; diffuse; full; profuse.
- adjective Having more than usual power or capacity; having broad sympathies and generous impulses; comprehensive; -- said of the mind and heart.
- adjective obsolete Free; unembarrassed.
- adjective obsolete Unrestrained by decorum; -- said of language.
- adjective obsolete Prodigal in expending; lavish.
- adjective (Naut.) Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; -- said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.
- adjective Diffusely; fully; in the full extent.
- adjective See under
Common , n. - adjective [U. S.] electors, or a representative, as in Congress, chosen to represent the whole of a State, in distinction from those chosen to represent particular districts in a State.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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This is mainly to keep my mailbox from getting flooded with the large number of resulting responses. (and I do mean * large*).
The "Definitive" Arcade Video Games Cheat Sheet by Jeremy Radlow/Johnathan N. Deitch 1992
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-- Since such an aeroplane would be of low velocity, and therefore possess a large angle of incidence, a _large camber_ would be necessary.
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The space enclosed by the walls was very large; and as in modern times many new buildings and ranges of buildings have been erected within, with streets and courts between them, the place has now the appearance of being a little town enclosed by walls, and surrounded by a ditch with bridges, and standing in the midst of a _large_ town.
Rollo in London Jacob Abbott 1841
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In the _centre of the large circle_ which surrounds the head, and just above the tablet, is a _large medallion_, with the sun behind a cloud, and round it "Et latet et lucet."
Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1) From the Original Family Documents Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville Buckingham and Chandos 1829
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Now, when I say our large fires, I mean the _large_ fires of _America_, consisting of three or four oak trees, containing a load of wood each, besides many large boughs and branches, altogether forming a fire some twenty or thirty feet long, with flames flickering up twice as high as one's head.
Diary in America, Series One Frederick Marryat 1820
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It is affirmed that the aumils and renters exact from the proprietors of the actual harvest a large increase in kind on their stipulated rent: that is, from those who hold their _pottah_ by the tenure of paying _one half_ of the produce of their crops, either _the whole_ without subterfuge, or a _large_ proportion of it by a _false measurement_ or other pretexts; and from those whose engagements are for
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 08 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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IV. i.53 (297,5) [word too large] So he uses _large jests_ in this play, for _licentious, not restrained within due bounds_.
Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746
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"Frames are very expensive things, and, on that account, I shall not attempt another large picture for some time, although Mr. West advises me to paint _large_ as much as possible.
Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals In Two Volumes, Volume I. 1831
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"Get samples to test, and make the label large enough for your bar code,"
Recently Uploaded Slideshows Batjaa_sh 2009
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Medvedev said Thursday Russia is gravely concerned by what he calls the "large number of people dying" in the Syrian uprising.
Medvedev Warns Assad of 'Sad Fate' if Syria Does Not Reform 2011
angharad commented on the word large
In my household, we refer to ourselves this way. To differentiate from our "medium", which is the cat, and the "smalls" which are the the pocket-pets (rodents). A feral house-mouse is, then, similarly small, little or, better tiny; and insects are tiny or wee. If we had a ferret, I suspect it would be smallish or not-quite-medium]
December 15, 2006