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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."
Examples of by and large in a Sentence
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Electricity costs less, by and large, when it’s provided by public rather than private companies.
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Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
Attorneys have said those relationships are by and large unethical, but also rare.
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Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
In the scientific community, there are a few outliers, but by and large, there’s a pretty universal agreement among scientists that the climate crisis is real and important.
—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for by and large
Cite this Entry
“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20and%20large. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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