The term by and large means on the whole; in general. "By and large" is originally a sailing term meaning "alternately close-hauled and not close-hauled." A ship that is sailing "close-hauled" is sailing as directly into the wind as possible. The "by" part of the phrase means "close-hauled" and "large," by contrast, refers to a point of sail in which the wind is hitting the boat behind the boat's widest point. The suggestion of a wide range carries over into the term's "in general" sense. I started using the term with greater regularly to unravel mental models as a result of @Ray Dalio's insights in @Principles: Life and Work. Dalio suggests a focus on the “by and large” general level of understanding to make decisions, not edge cases or whether something is “totally true”.

Contexts

• #principles-life-and-work (See: @Principles: Life and Work)