at large—
1. not in confinement or captivity:
- The suspect was not found, and was still at large, police said.
2. unemployed; without an occupation:
- Are you at large or have you any other occupation?
3. is used of people in general:
- Did the people at large approve of the government’s policy?
4. without definite aim; at random:
- A single stroke well aimed returns a better result than a score which are delivered at large.
5. at great length; in detail:
- My mother and I talked at large on the subject.
in large —(also: in the large) as a whole:
- Are they pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth rather than their family and neighbors: their community in small and in large?