Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1100-1200
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin largus

large

1 adjective
     
large1 S1 W1 comparative larger, superlative largest
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

British English 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 writ2WORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

big, large, greatbig and large have the same meaning, but large is slightly more formal and more likely to be used in written than spoken English • a big lunch • a large houselarge is used with quantity words such as 'number' and 'amount' • large amounts of money • a large proportion of the studentsgreat is not usually used to talk about size but it can be used in literary writing to describe very large and impressive things • Before them stood a great palace.great is used with length, height, and age, and in the expression a great deal (=a lot) • The grass had reached a great height. • a great deal of moneyWORD CHOICE: big, tall, highbig is not used just to describe a person's height. It is used to describe a child who is growing, or a person who is heavy, with a lot of fat or muscle on their body.tall is used to describe a person's height. It can also be used to describe trees, buildings, or other things that are narrow and measure a long distance from bottom to top • She is tall and thin. • the tallest building in Londonhigh is used to describe things or places that are a long way from the ground • a high shelf • the highest mountain in the world ➔ See also big
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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