large
A2Neutral/Formal. Used across all registers, from everyday conversation to academic and technical writing.
Definition
Meaning
Of considerable or relatively great size, extent, or capacity; bigger than average or standard.
Extensive in scope, scale, or influence; operating on a wide scale. Also used in abstract contexts (e.g., 'a large problem'). In informal contexts, can mean 'generous' or 'boastful'.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an adjective. The comparative and superlative are regular ('larger', 'largest'). Its meaning is often relative and contextual (e.g., 'a large mouse' vs. 'a large elephant'). It frequently describes physical dimensions, quantity, scale, or degree. The adverb form is 'largely' (meaning 'mostly' or 'mainly').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in collocational preferences (e.g., 'large-scale' vs. 'big-scale'). In US English, 'large' is more common in formal/commercial contexts (e.g., 'large fries', 'large soda'). In UK informal speech, 'big' is often preferred.
Connotations
Slightly more formal than 'big' in both varieties. In UK English, can sound slightly more measured or precise.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties. 'Big' is more frequent in informal spoken contexts in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
ADJ + N (a large room)V + ADJ (grow large)ADJ + enough (large enough to hold)too + ADJ (too large for)as + ADJ + as (as large as)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “at large”
- “by and large”
- “larger than life”
- “in large part”
- “loom large”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for scale of operations, markets, or profits (e.g., 'large corporation', 'large-scale investment').
Academic
Common for describing data sets, samples, populations, or effects (e.g., 'a large sample size', 'a large body of research').
Everyday
Describing physical objects, portions, groups, or general amounts (e.g., 'a large pizza', 'a large family').
Technical
Used in specific measurements or classifications (e.g., 'large intestine', 'large format printer').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The budget deficit is expected to large in the coming year. (archaic/rare)
American English
- (Verb form is archaic and virtually unused in modern English.)
adverb
British English
- (Adverb form is 'largely': The success was largely due to her team.)
American English
- (Adverb form is 'largely': He has largely ignored the advice.)
adjective
British English
- They live in a rather large Victorian terrace.
- A large percentage of voters remained undecided.
American English
- We ordered a large pepperoni pizza.
- The project requires a large initial investment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My house has a large garden.
- She has a large family with three brothers.
- A large number of people attended the festival in the park.
- We need a larger car for our holiday trip.
- The company is facing large-scale reorganisation across its European divisions.
- The report highlighted the large discrepancy between projected and actual costs.
- The minister's resignation loomed large over the party conference, dominating all discussions.
- His influence on the field is large, though by and large, he avoids the public eye.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'LARGE' jar – it holds a **LARGE** Amount of something.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE IS SIZE (e.g., 'a large problem', 'a large role'). QUANTITY IS SIZE (e.g., 'a large sum of money').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not use 'large' for age ('большой' as in 'большой брат' = 'older brother').
- Avoid using 'large' for abstract importance without a size/quantity link ('большое спасибо' = 'thank you very much', not 'large thanks').
- 'Large' is less emotional than 'большой' in many contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'large' with uncountable nouns where 'much' or 'a lot of' is better (e.g., 'I have large money' is incorrect).
- Confusing 'large' (size/scale) with 'long' (duration/distance).
- Overusing 'large' in informal speech where 'big' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'by and large', what does 'large' contribute to the meaning?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Big' is more informal and can be used more broadly (e.g., 'big sister', 'big idea'). 'Large' is slightly more formal and is often preferred with quantities and measurements ('large amount', 'large size'). 'Large' is less likely to be used metaphorically for importance in casual speech.
No. It is primarily used with countable nouns (a large room, large apples) and certain uncountable nouns denoting measurable amounts (large amounts of money, large quantities of water). It sounds unnatural with abstract, non-measurable uncountables (e.g., 'large happiness' is incorrect).
It has two main meanings: 1) (of a criminal, dangerous animal, etc.) not captured; free. 2) As a whole; in general (e.g., 'society at large').
'Larger' is the correct comparative form. 'More large' is grammatically possible but extremely rare and stylistically awkward; it is not used in standard English.
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