largely

English

Etymology

large +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

• enPR: lärjʹ-li
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑːd͡ʒ.li/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑɹd͡ʒ.li/

    • Audio (US)

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  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈlaːd͡ʒ.li/
• Hyphenation: large‧ly

Adverb

largely (comparative largelier or more largely, superlative largeliest or most largely)

1. In a widespread or large manner.
   • 1924, William John Locke, The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol:

     She smiled at Aristide, who smiled at her, and Jean, seeing them happy, smiled largely at them both.

2. For the most part; mainly or chiefly.

   They were largely successful in their efforts.

   • 1992, Rudolf M Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page vii:

     Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get; what you get is classical alpha-taxonomy which is, very largely and for sound reasons, in disrepute today.

   • 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:

     Yet in “Through a Latte, Darkly”, a new study of how Starbucks has largely avoided paying tax in Britain, Edward Kleinbard […] shows that current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate what he calls “stateless income”: […]. In Starbucks’s case, the firm has in effect turned the process of making an expensive cup of coffee into intellectual property.

3. On a large scale; amply.
   • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 2”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. , →OCLC:

     Usually there was a jug of one or other decoction standing on the hob, from which he drank largely.
     "Grand!" he said, smacking his lips after wormwood. "Grand!" And he exhorted the children to try.

4. (obsolete) Fully, at great length.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     It ill beseemes a knight of gentle sort, / Such as ye haue him boasted, to beguile / A simple mayd, and worke so haynous tort, / In shame of knighthood, as I largely can report.

Synonyms

• (in a large manner):
• (for the most part): by and large, for the most part, in the main; see also Thesaurus:mostly
• (on a large scale): abundantly, fully, plentifully
• (at great length): at length

Translations

Anagrams

• allergy, gallery, regally