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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."
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Examples of by and large in a Sentence
Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 16 Jan. 2025
As Finebaum said on Pablo Torre’s recent podcast, his audience by and large isn’t reading The New York Times or listening to NPR.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Jan. 2025
Animated movies, by and large, haven’t been great to moms.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
While buyers above 59th Street on both the East and West Sides still enjoy proximity to (and sometimes views of) Central Park and many of the city’s best private schools, these neighborhoods, by and large, just no longer seem cool.
—Frederick Peters, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20and%20large. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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