1
: identical to an original in proportion and size
full-scale drawing
2
a
: involving full use of available resources
a full-scale biography
full-scale war
b
: total, complete
a full-scale musical renaissanceCurrent Biography

Examples of full-scale in a Sentence

a full-scale search and rescue for the victims of the rock slide
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Any extracurricular school program requires funding to sustain itself, but operating a full-scale racing team is an especially costly endeavor. Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian aircraft have violated Estonian airspace eight times, the Defense Ministry spokesperson said. David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025 But there is little hope for a quick end to the conflict, more than three and a half years after the current phase was sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of the country. MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 Paramount has opted out of a full-scale upfront in recent years, but its step-back was not replicated by others, and the company is under new management after the Skydance merger. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for full-scale

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of full-scale was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Full-scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full-scale. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

full-scale

adjective
ˈfu̇l-ˈskā(ə)l
1
: identical to an original in size
2
: not limited in any way : using everything that can be used
a full-scale war
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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