large
pronunciation
How to pronounce large in British English:
UK [lɑːdʒ]
How to pronounce large in American English:
US [lɑːrdʒ]
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- Noun:
- a garment size for a large person
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- Adjective:
- above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
- fairly large or important in effect; influential
- large enough to be visible to the naked eye
- ostentatiously lofty in style
- generous and understanding and tolerant
- conspicuous in position or importance
- having broad power and range and scope
- in an advanced stage of pregnancy
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- Adverb:
- at a distance, wide of something (as of a mark)
- with the wind abaft the beam
- in a boastful manner
Word Origin
- large
- large: [12] Latin largus, a word of unknown origin, meant ‘abundant’ and also ‘generous’. It retained the latter meaning when it came into English via Old French large (‘the poor King Reignier, whose large style agrees not with the leanness of his purse’, Shakespeare, 2 Henry VI 1593), but this now survives only in the derivative largesse [13]. ‘Abundant’, on the other hand, has provided the basis of the main modern English meaning ‘of great size’, which emerged in the 15th century.
- large (adj.)
- c. 1200, "bountiful, inclined to give or spend freely," also, of areas, "great in expanse," from Old French large "broad, wide; generous, bounteous," from Latin largus "abundant, copious, plentiful; bountiful, liberal in giving," of unknown origin. Main modern meanings "extensive; big in overall size" emerged 14c. An older sense of "liberated, free from restraining influence" is preserved in at large (late 14c.). Adjective phrase larger-than-life first attested 1937 (bigger than life is from 1640s).
Example
- 1. Ba is from a large family .
- 2. There are rarely large incumbent firms .
- 3. Large currency swaps could be a partial answer .
- 4. That is easiest for those with large foreign-exchange reserves .
- 5. Ping an is also planning a large share and convertible bond sale to fund further global expansion .