What does 'by and large' mean?

What it means: Generally speaking; mostly; on the whole. Used to introduce a general statement that's true overall, even if not true in every specific case.

"By and large, the project was a success."
"By and large, people were supportive of the change."
"It was, by and large, a good year."

Where it comes from: Sailing. "By" meant sailing into the wind; "large" meant sailing with the wind. A ship that could handle both was versatile and capable. "By and large" originally meant in any condition — a description of something that works across different circumstances. This sense of "in general" is what transferred to everyday language.

• "Generally speaking" — formal equivalent
• "On the whole" — similar
• "Overall" — simpler, common
• "Mostly" — casual

Register: Neutral to slightly formal. More common in writing than speech, but used in both.

Tags: expressions, generalising, everyday English, idioms