at large

at large
at large
1. free; uncaptured. (Usually said of criminals not in custody.) •

At noon, the day after the robbery, the thieves were still at large.

There is a murderer at large in the city!

2. in general; according to a general sample. •

Truck drivers at large don't like the new speed restriction on the highway.

Students at large felt that discipline was too strict.

3. representing the whole group rather than its subsections. (Always refers to a special kind of elective office.) •

He ran for representative at large.

She represented shareholders at large on the governing board.

* * *
{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Not kept within walls, fences, or boundaries; free. * /The killer remained at large for weeks./ Compare: AT LIBERTY. * /Cattle and sheep roamed at large on the big ranch./ 2. In a broad, general way; at length; fully. * /The superintendent talked at large for an hour about his hopes for a new school building./ 3. As a group rather than as individuals; as a whole; taken together. * /The junior class at large was not interested in a senior yearbook./ 4. As a representative of a whole political unit or area rather than one of its parts; from a city rather than one of its wards, or a state rather than one of its districts. * /He was elected congressman at large./ * /Aldermen are voted for at large./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • large — [ larʒ ] adj., n. m. et adv. • XIe ; lat. largus « abondant; généreux », a remplacé latus, à cause de longus « long » I ♦ Adj. 1 ♦ Qui a une étendue supérieure à la moyenne dans le sens de la largeur. Une large avenue. Chapeau à larges bords.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Large — (l[aum]rj), a. [Compar. {Larger} (l[aum]r j[ e]r); superl. {Largest}.] [F., fr. L. largus. Cf. {Largo}.] 1. Exceeding most other things of like kind in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Large Magellanic Cloud — The Large Magellanic Cloud Observation data (J2000 epoch) Constellation Dorado/Mensa …   Wikipedia

  • Large (disambiguation) — Large is an English surname.Large may also refer to:In botany:* Large flowered bellwort, plant in the family Liliaceae * Large fruited Elm, small deciduous tree or large shrub endemic to the Far East excluding JapanIn literature:* Geraldo at… …   Wikipedia

  • Large-print — (also large type or large font) describes a type of book or other (paper, online or otherwise) published material in which the typeface (or font), and sometimes the medium, are considerably larger than usual, to accommodate people who have poor… …   Wikipedia

  • Large format lens — Large format lenses are photographic optics that provide an image circle large enough to cover large format film or plates. Large format lenses are typically used in large format cameras and view cameras.Photographic optics generally project a… …   Wikipedia

  • Large White — Pour les articles homonymes, voir White. Large white …   Wikipédia en Français

  • large — [ lardʒ ] adjective *** bigger than usual in size: The house had an exceptionally large yard. Large crowds gather each year in St. Peter s Square to see the Pope. A large man with a long ginger beard stood in the doorway. a. used in clothing… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Large format — describes large photographic films, large cameras, view cameras (including pinhole cameras) and processes that use a film or digital sensor, generally 4 x 5 inches or larger. The most common large formats are 4×5 and 8×10 inches. Less common… …   Wikipedia

  • large — [lärj] adj. larger, largest [OFr < L largus: see LARD] 1. Archaic liberal; generous 2. big; great; specif., a) taking up much space; bulky b) enclosing much space; spacious [a large office] …   English World dictionary

  • Large file support — Large file support, often abbreviated to LFS, is the term frequently applied to the ability to create files larger than 2 GiB on 32 bit operating systems. Rationale Traditionally, many operating systems and their underlying file system… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”