by and large
for the most part; generally
In Spanish
en general, en términos generales
Examples
- By and large, the response to the launch has been positive.
- By and large, the weather has been mild this winter.
- The students, by and large, performed well on the exam.
When it's used
'By and large' is commonly used in English to summarize or generalize situations, especially in informal or semi-formal contexts. It is more frequent in speech than in formal writing. It is a fairly common expression and understood by most native speakers.
The common mistake
A common mistake is using 'by and large' in very formal contexts where an English speaker would use more formal terms like 'in general' or 'overall'. For example, saying 'By and large, the financial report is complete' in a formal financial report may seem too colloquial.