at large
"at-large" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“at large” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.
Corpus desk
Index EN-at-large · at large · English
at large · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | at large |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “at large” in English
Rare enough to double-check
at large is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for at large in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English at large (“at liberty or freedom”) (compare Middle English ben at large (“to be at one's liberty, be free”)). Compare Old French au large (“at liberty” and other senses). The correct English form is at large, spelled A-T- -L-A-R-G-E.
Definition
- 1On the loose; roaming freely; not confined.
- 2In full, fully.
- 3In general; as a whole.
- 4Having an electorate across multiple districts.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how at large appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
For a nervous twenty-four hours, three wanted criminals were at large in the city.
The ambassador-at-large was designated to the Middle East as a region, rather than to a specific country.
Etymology
From Middle English at large (“at liberty or freedom”) (compare Middle English ben at large (“to be at one's liberty, be free”)). Compare Old French au large (“at liberty” and other senses).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.