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big picture. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
big picture, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
big picture in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
big picture you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From a figurative sense of picture meaning "situation." First attested in 1904.
Pronunciation
Noun
big picture (plural big pictures)
- The totality of a situation.
1941, United States House Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Merchant-marine inquiry forwarders: Executive hearings, page 35:I do not care whether it is placed or not, if I get my stuff to that ship. Now, it is my job to look at the big picture.
1951, US Senate Committee on Armed Services, Military situation in the Far East, page 3089:We need somebody who will overlook the petty details, look at the big picture, decide what is necessary to end the war, make a plan,
1993, Bill Clinton, Presidential Radio Address - 31 July 1993:I met an executive from Missouri who turned around a failing plant by sharing information with employees about the company's performance. When the employees understood the big picture, they did even better at their jobs.
2002, Kate Chynoweth, Neryl Walker, The Bridesmaid Guide:In the prewedding whirlwind of bridal showers, dress shopping, and parties, even the most budget savvy bridesmaids can overspend by mistake. Because the events span several months, it can be easy to lose track of the big picture and splurge at each event.
2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 46:Having laid out these big-picture figures, the report then begins its analysis of traffic types against route mileage.
- (British, Ireland, dated) The main film in a double feature.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see big, picture.
Synonyms
Translations
totality of a situation
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 大局 (zh) (dàjú)
- Czech: celkový obraz m
- Finnish: kokonaisuus (fi)
- French: vue d’ensemble (fr) f
- German: Gesamtbild (de) n, Gesamteindruck (de) m, das große Ganze n
- Japanese: 大局 (ja) (たいきょく, taikyoku)
- Korean: 대국(大局) (ko) (daeguk)
- Russian: о́бщая карти́на f (óbščaja kartína), о́бщая ситуа́ция f (óbščaja situácija), о́бщая обстано́вка f (óbščaja obstanóvka), обстано́вка в це́лом f (obstanóvka v célom)
- Spanish: impresión general f, visión general f, visión de conjunto f, panorama general m, idea general m
- Turkish: büyük fotoğraf, büyük resim
- Vietnamese: đại cục (vi) (大局)
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See also
Further reading