by and large en · ADV
Pronunciation
Etymology
From sailing: a ship may (or may not) sail well both close by the wind, and large, downwind, with sheets extended.
Meanings
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(focus, idiomatic, not-comparable) Mostly; generally; all things considered.
Taking things by and large, as sailors say, I got on fairly well in the matter of provisions even on the long voyage across the Pacific.
1901, Joshua Slocum, Sailing alone around the world, New York: The Century Company:“The people doing this by and large don’t have any real concept of how to tell a story, and neither do any kind of A.I.,” Ms. Williams said on Wednesday.
2023 February 23, Michael Levenson, quoting Sheila Williams, “Science Fiction Magazines Battle a Flood of Chatbot-Generated Stories”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:It was, by and large, an unexceptional presentation.
Akers claims that ETCS signalling renewals are roughly 50% of the cost of conventional renewals. If nothing else, this is an important reason for NR to be keen to switch. "There's no rocket science or magic in that, there's just physically less to deliver," he says. "There are no trackside signals. Yes, you have balises and marker boards, and you still have train detection, but by and large there is simply less to deliver.
2024 May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 29:
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(idiomatic, not-comparable, obsolete) In one way or another.
[…] a man who has heard of the biter bit, feels rather perplexed on the whole, take it by-and-large […]
1833, John Neal, The Down-Easters, volume 1, New York: Harper & Brothers:Miss Betsey, a charming frigate, that will do honour to our country, if you take her by and large.
1769, Southern Literary Messenger, volume XVII, number 183, page 2:
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(not-comparable) Sailing alternately into the wind and in the same direction as the wind.
[…] For to make a Ship to drawe or goe but little into the water, and to hold a good winde, and to ſaile well both by and large, were very neceſſarie, and eſpecially in theſe our ſhallowe Seas, […]
1578, William Bourne, Inventions or Devises, London:
Synonyms
mainly · largely · pretty well · broadly · for the most part · all in all · predominantly · mostly · primarily · on the whole · by and large · chiefly · usually · all things considered · in the main · as a rule · generally · feckly · generally · overall · altogether · on the whole · in the large · for the most part · mostly · principally · basically
Translations (52)
fi kokonaisuutena (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fr pratiquement (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · sv mestadels (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · sv i allmänhet (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · pt em geral (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fr en majeure partie (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · pl w większości (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · da i det store og hele (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · da stort set (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 一般 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · nb stort sett (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ru в о́бщем и це́лом (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · sv i stort sett (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ko 대부분 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fi suurin piirtein (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ru в о́бщем (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · da i det store hele (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ja 全般的にみて (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · te మొత్తమ్మీద (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · nb i det store og hele (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · pl ogólnie rzecz biorąc (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ka ზოგადად (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · nn stort sett (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 全盤看來 /全盘看来 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · de im Großen und Ganzen (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ka მთლიანობაში (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 大體上 /大体上 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · nn i det store og heile (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 大體而言 /大体而言 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · es en buena parte (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ru по бо́льшей ча́сти (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · he בכלל (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · pt no geral (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fr en gros (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · hu alapvetően (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fi suurimmaksi osaksi (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · sv på det hela taget (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · it in linea di massima (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · es en gran parte (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · gd san fharsaingeachd (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · hu összességében (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 總的來說 /总的来说 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fa کلاً (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · fi yleisesti ottaen (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · it in generale (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cmn 大致上 (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ca en general (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · hu egészében véve (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · sv i det stora hela (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · ar عَلَى اَلْعَمُوم (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · cs celkem vzato (mostly, generally; with few exceptions) · nl over het geheel genomen (mostly, generally; with few exceptions)