Large is an adjective meaning of great size, extent, or capacity. It describes something that is above average in physical dimensions, quantity, or scope — for example, a large house, a large amount of money, or a large organisation.
What Does Large Mean?
Large comes from Old French large (broad, wide) and ultimately from Latin largus (abundant, generous). It entered English in the 12th century following the Norman Conquest. The same Latin root gives us largesse (generosity) and the musical direction largo (slow and broad).
In modern English, large is one of the core adjectives for describing size. It sits in a scale between big and huge, and is generally more formal and measurable than big. You are more likely to see large in academic writing, journalism, and business contexts: a large proportion, a large-scale study, a large corporation.
The word also appears in several important fixed expressions: at large (free, or in general), by and large (on the whole), and larger than life (unusually vivid or impressive). These idioms are very common in spoken and written British English.
Example Sentences (A2–C1)
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| They live in a large house with a beautiful garden. | A2 — attributive adjective before noun; everyday physical size |
| A large number of students attended the workshop. | B1 — collocation: large number of; describing quantity |
| The room felt suddenly large and empty after everyone had left the party. | B1 — predicative use after linking verb; emotional contrast |
| The company operates on a large scale, with offices in fourteen countries. | B2 — compound modifier: large-scale; formal/business register |
| By and large, the reforms have been welcomed by the general public, though a large proportion of economists remain sceptical. | C1 — idiom: by and large; collocation: large proportion; formal written English |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| large number (of) | A large number of people attended the concert. |
| large amount (of) | She donated a large amount of money to charity. |
| large scale / large-scale | The investigation was conducted on a large scale. |
| large proportion (of) | A large proportion of the workforce works from home. |
| large majority | The bill passed with a large majority in Parliament. |
| large part (of) | For the large part, the students were well prepared. |
| large quantity (of) | Police seized a large quantity of counterfeit goods. |
| at large | The escaped prisoner is still at large. |
| by and large | By and large, it was a successful event. |
| larger than life | She has a larger-than-life personality that fills every room. |
Etymology
Old French large (broad, wide, 13th century) ← Latin largus (abundant, generous, copious). The word entered Middle English in the 12th century following the Norman Conquest. The original Latin sense of "generous" survives in the literary noun largesse (generous bestowal of gifts or money). The musical direction largo (very slow, broad in tempo) shares the same root. Related English derivatives: enlarge, largely, largish.
Usage Notes — Formal vs Informal
Register Guide
In academic and business writing, large is nearly always preferable to big. In everyday speech, both are natural, but big often feels warmer and more emotional while large feels more factual.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
It was a very large big house. (do not stack large and big — they mean the same thing)
It was a very large house. / It was a very big house.
A large amount of students were absent. (use number, not amount, with countable nouns)
A large number of students were absent.
She has a large hair. (large is not used with non-gradable physical features — use long, thick, or big)
She has long hair. / She has a big smile.