Generally speaking; considering everything; on the whole or for the most part.
This phrase originated in 17th century nautical terminology, where 'by' meant sailing close to the wind and 'large' meant sailing with the wind. A ship that could sail well 'by and large' could handle various wind conditions, making it reliable overall.
The maritime origin reveals how sailors needed vessels that performed well in all conditions - not just perfect weather - which perfectly captures the phrase's modern meaning of overall reliability or general truth. The phrase shows how specialized technical language often evolves into broader metaphors for life's varying conditions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.