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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
Moneyshow, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
But this is a team that is by and large going to have to grind out victories.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2025
And despite their politics, Turkey’s Kurds, by and large, are believing Muslims.
—Ragip Soylu, Time, 18 July 2025
Under Walker, the Legislature enjoyed an executive branch that supported its bills and a Republican attorney general, Schimel, who by and large represented their interests in court.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 17 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20and%20large. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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