large

large¹ W1S1 [la:dʒ US la:rdʒ] adj comparative larger superlative largest

[Date: 1100-1200; : Old French; Origin: Latin largus]

1.) big in size, amount, or number

≠ ↑small

▪ Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US.

▪ The T-shirt comes in Small, Medium and Large.

▪ a large ovenproof pan

▪ large sums of money

▪ those who drink large amounts of coffee

▪ A large number of students have signed up for the course.

see usage note ↑big¹

2.) a large person is tall and often fat

≠ ↑small

3.) be at large

if a dangerous person or animal is at large, they have escaped from somewhere or have not been caught

▪ The escaped prisoners are still at large.

4.) the population/public/society/world etc at large

people in general

▪ The chemical pollution poses a threat to the population at large.

5.) the larger issues/question/problem/picture

more general facts, situations, or questions related to something

▪ The book helps to explain the larger picture in the Middle East.

6.) in large part/measure

formal mostly

▪ Their success was due in large part to their ability to speak Spanish.

7.) (as) large as life

BrE spoken used when someone has appeared or is present in a place where you did not expect to see them

▪ I turned a corner and there was Joe, as large as life.

8.) larger than life

someone who is larger than life is very amusing or exciting in an attractive way

9.) by and large

used when talking generally about someone or something

▪ Charities, by and large, do not pay tax.

→loom large at ↑loom¹ (3)

→writ large at ↑writ²

large ²

large² v

large it (up)

BrE informal to enjoy yourself, especially in a way that involves drinking alcohol, dancing etc

▪ Here's a picture of us larging it up in Brighton last summer.