Largely

adv. Also 3–4 largeliche, 4–6 largly, -lie, 5 largele, 6 Sc. lairglie. [f. LARGE a. + -LY².] In a large manner.

  1.  Liberally, generously, bountifully. Now arch. and with mixture of sense 2.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 29. Þat he nule gladluche ifinde þe largeliche al þat te biheoued.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7869. He ȝef … To abbeys and to priories largeliche of is golde.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 27873. He may… largely do almus dede.

c. 1491.  Chast. Goddes Chyld., viii. 22. Some tyme they wyll yeue largely.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 258. Take with you Gold and Silver … and depart largely thereof unto your men of warre.

1583.  Golding, Calvin on Deut. lxix. 421. Wee haue gods grace much largelier towardes vs.

1827.  Keble, Chr. Y., Sund. after Ascension, Largely Thou givest, gracious Lord, Largely Thy gifts should be restor’d.

1879.  Browning, Pheidippides, 48. Too rash Love in its choice, paid you so largely service so slack!

  2.  Copiously, abundantly; in a large measure; to a great extent; extensively, greatly, considerably, much.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 112. So largeliche ant so swuðe vleau þet ilke blodi swot of his blisfule bodie.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. III. 138. For thorw lesynges ȝe lacchen largeliche mede.

1469.  Plumpton Corr. (Camden), 23. For and it go to matter in law, it will cost mony largely.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, XI. 879. He … Send to the Erll, and thankit him largele.

1529.  More, Dyaloge, I. Wks. 139/2. What so euer fashion of worshipping of Latria be, the same is as largely done to saintes and ymages as to god.

1580.  Sidney, Ps. XVIII. vi. He lifted me, unto a largly noble place.

1594.  Bacon, Lett. to A. Bacon, in Spedding, Lett. (1861), I. 349. There is a collection of Dr. James, of foreign states, largeliest of Flanders, which [etc.].

1611.  Bible, 1 Macc. xvi. 16. When Simon and his sonnes had drunke largely.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 210. They sup largely.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 482. The salacious Goat encreases more; And twice as largely yields her milky Store.

1747.  Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), 114. Drink largely of warm Lemonade.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iv. I. 432. The patient was bled largely.

1880.  Geikie, Phys. Geog., iv. § 24. 228. Water enters largely into the composition of the bodies both of plants and animals.

1887.  Lightfoot, Leaders North. Ch. (1891), 3. The prosperity of a Church, as of a Nation, depends largely on its connexion with the past.

1891.  Freeman, Sk. Fr. Trav., 120. These surrounding hills are largely rocky.

  † b.  With words expressive of quantity or extent: Fully, quite. Obs.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10528. Al a ȝer largeliche this wrechede ilaste.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 86. That largelich a legioun lese her lyf.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1908. Another, That coste largely of gold a fother.

c. 1400.  Ywaine & Gaw., 423. I wate that he was largely By the shuldres mare than i.

  † 3.  Of discourse: At (great) length, in full, fully. Obs. or arch.

1483.  Caxton, G. de la Tour, D v. Gretter boldnesse to speke to her more largely.

a. 1533.  Frith, Disput. Purgat. (1829), 121. Which point I will touch more largely anon.

1551.  Turner, Herbal, I. B vij. This herbe is so well knowen in all contrees, that I nede not largelyer to describe it.

1655.  Stanley, Hist. Philos., I. (1701), 55/1. The Feast is largely described by Plutarch.

1782.  Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., I. Pref. 19. I have written … largely on the subject of the soul.

1807.  Strutt, Sports & Past., III. iii. 160. We shall have occasion farther on to speak more largely concerning all these kinds.

1831.  Society, I. 154. The girls had written so largely to their friend, she would not repeat news.

  4.  Generally; with a wide or general application or comprehension; in a wide sense. rare or arch.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 344. Ȝif men speken largeli, many men ben here more blessid þan þe pope.

1533.  Frith, Mirr. Sacrm. Bapt. (1829), 287. I take the congregation of God in this place even somewhat largely, this is, for all them that are thought or counted to be the members of Christ.

1570.  Act 13 Eliz., c. 8 § 6. The sayde Statute … shalbe most largely and strongly construed for the repressing of Usurie.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 228. This name Æthiopia sometimes taken more largely, otherwhiles more straitned.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. iii. (1686), 6. Error, to speak largely, is a false judgement.

1774.  Burke, Amer. Tax., Wks. 1842, I. 155. He was certainly in the right when he took the matter largely.

1868.  Gladstone, Juv. Mundi, ii. (1869), 43. His [Proitos’] subjects may have been Argives of Argolis, taken largely.

  † b.  Loosely, inaccurately. Obs.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., I. xix. 116. Ech of the xj. gouernauncis, which y schal … menteyne and defende is groundid in Holi Scripture largeli and vnpropirli forto speke of grounding.

1654.  Bramhall, Just Vind., ii. (1661), 17. In all Sacraments improperly and largely so called.

  † 5.  Freely, without restraint. Obs.

c. 1425.  Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1637. Wantons … Oft sythe bryng hem sylf in dystresse, Because they somtyme to largely deele.

c. 1440.  York Myst., xxx. 493. Me likes noȝt [t]his langage so largely for to lye.

c. 1530.  Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 396. Ye saye not wysely to call the archebysshop traitour … it is to largely sayde.

1564.  J. Rastell, Confut. Jewell’s Serm., 73. It ys largelye and lowdelye spoken.

  † 6.  For a large sum; at a high price. Obs. rare.

1611.  Coryat, Crudities, 216. Certaine prisoners being largely hired by the King of Spaine conspired together.

  † 7.  Widely. Obs.

1551.  Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., I. iii. Open your compasse as largely as you can.

  8.  In large characters, letters or outlines; on a large scale (of drawing). Now rare.

1624.  Bedell, Lett., iv. 78. On the top of this Tower, was this representation curiously and largely cut.

1680.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 237. The Fore-Puppet is more largely delineated in Plate 18.

1887.  Sir G. Trevelyan in Standard, 27 Aug., 2/3. You could almost read them across the floor of the House, they are so largely printed.

  9.  With lofty demeanor; loftily, pompously.

1857.  Trollope, Barchester T., xlvi. (1858), 389. He, therefore, walked rather largely upon the earth.

1887.  Hall Caine, Deemster, xviii. 107. ‘Do you know, my good people,’ he said largely, ‘I’m at a loss to understand what you mean.’