largely
largely Lexical Profile
largely Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
To a great extent; on the whole; mostly or mainly.
"The success of the community garden was largely due to the dedication of local volunteers."
On a large or grand scale; abundantly, generously, or copiously (now rare or archaic).
"The wealthy patron contributed largely to the endowment of the new public library."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike its root adjective "large", "largely" almost never refers to physical size; instead, it functions as a degree adverb meaning "mostly" or "to a great extent".
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English from the adjective "large" (borrowed from Old French, from Latin "largus" meaning abundant, copious, or generous) + the adverbial suffix "-ly". In Middle English, it originally meant generously or bountifully before shifting to mean "to a great extent".