largely

adverb

large·​ly ˈlärj-lē 

: in a large manner

especially : to a large extent : mostly, primarily

words largely unknown a decade ago

Synonyms

• mostly
• mainly
• primarily
• chiefly
• predominantly
• principally
• basically
• generally

Examples of largely in a Sentence

The story is largely true.

He is largely responsible for the problem.

The economy is based largely on farming.

Recent Examples on the Web

Coming off his strong game at Washington, this was another step forward for Sayin, who had largely been asked to keep the ball short in his first month as starter. —Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

Today, there are active farm-to-school programs in all fifty states; almost half of these started up in the past few years, owing largely to the influx of Biden-era funding. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025

However, over the past decade (largely due to a major spike in tourism caused by the pandemic), that pattern has started to change. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

But predicting who will win is largely guesswork. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

largely

adverb

large·​ly ˈlärj-lē 

1

: generally sense 1

the story is largely true

2

: in a great amount

tipped the waiter largely