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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
Philip Elliott, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The party that embraced him and the people who supported him have, by and large, left him behind.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Indiana Republicans by and large are still sticking by a bill to enable the Indiana National Guard to have local policing power on the ground in areas where the governor deploys them.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
In the case of states enacting AI laws, by and large, they are conventionally limited to governing only AI that arises within their geographic boundaries.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 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 5 Feb. 2026.
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