Dictionary

largely en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈlaːd͡ʒ.li/ (Australia)
• /ˈlɑɹd͡ʒ.li/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /ˈlɑːd͡ʒ.li/ (UK)
• lärjʹ-li

Etymology

Etymology tree English large Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English largely From large + -ly.

Meanings

1. In a widespread or large manner.
   • She smiled at Aristide, who smiled at her, and Jean, seeing them happy, smiled largely at them both. 1924, William John Locke, The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol:
2. For the most part; mainly or chiefly.
   • Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get; what you get is classical alpha-taxonomy which is, very largely and for sound reasons, in disrepute today. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
   • Yet in “Through a Latte, Darkly”, a new study of how Starbucks has largely avoided paying tax in Britain, Edward Kleinbard […] shows that current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate what he calls “stateless income”: […]. In Starbucks’s case, the firm has in effect turned the process of making an expensive cup of coffee into intellectual property. 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:
   • They were largely successful in their efforts.
   • But with the war also still largely stalemated, other theatres of conflict have become more important. In Russia’s case, that includes the secret domain. 2024 March 18, Dan Sabbagh, “Volkov attack signals Russia’s return to cold war-era spying in Europe”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2025:
3. On a large scale; amply.
   • Usually there was a jug of one or other decoction standing on the hob, from which he drank largely. "Grand!" he said, smacking his lips after wormwood. "Grand!" And he exhorted the children to try. 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 2”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
4. (obsolete) Fully, at great length.
   • It ill beseemes a knight of gentle sort, / Such as ye haue him boasted, to beguile / A simple mayd, and worke so haynous tort, / In shame of knighthood, as I largely can report. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

largely composite number

Synonyms

for the most part · by and large (for the most part) · abundantly (on a large scale) · at length (at great length) · plentifully (on a large scale) · in the main · fully (on a large scale)

Translations (36)

hu javarészt (for the most part) · bg напълно (''(obsolete in English)'' fully, at great length) · bg предимно (for the most part) · hu jórészt (for the most part) · fi pitkälti (for the most part) · fi laajasti (''(obsolete in English)'' fully, at great length) · ru оби́льно (on a large scale) · bg в голям мащаб (on a large scale) · it estesamente (in a widespread or large manner) · hu bőven (on a large scale) · bg главно (for the most part) · it ampiamente (on a large scale) · it per la maggior parte (for the most part) · es en gran parte (for the most part) · it pienamente (''(obsolete in English)'' fully, at great length) · hu túlnyomórészt (for the most part) · fi enimmäkseen (for the most part) · fi laajalti (in a widespread or large manner) · it in generale (for the most part) · hu bőségesen (on a large scale) · es mayormente (for the most part) · fr largement (in a widespread or large manner) · bg съвсем (''(obsolete in English)'' fully, at great length) · fi runsaasti (on a large scale) · it in gran parte (in a widespread or large manner) · hu nagymértékben (for the most part) · fr en général (for the most part) · fr pour la plupart (for the most part) · hu főként (for the most part) · it largamente (in a widespread or large manner) · eo grandparte (for the most part) · de größtenteils (for the most part) · fr en grande partie (in a widespread or large manner) · hu szélesen (in a widespread or large manner) · fi paljolti (for the most part) · hu nagyrészt (for the most part)