by and large

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Etymology

From sailing: a ship may (or may not) sail well both close by the wind, and large, downwind, with sheets extended.

Adverb

by and large (not comparable)

1. (set phrase, focus) Mostly, generally; with few exceptions.

   Synonyms: for the most part, generally, mostly, on the whole, usually, Thesaurus:mostly

   It was, by and large, an unexceptional presentation.

Translations

• French: en majeure partie, en gros, pratiquement
• German: im Großen und Ganzen
• Italian: in generale, in linea di massima
• Portuguese: em geral, no geral
• Russian: в о́бщем и це́лом
• Spanish: en general

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