große

Große is the inflected form of the German adjective groß, meaning big, large, or great. It is used attributively before a noun to describe size, extent, or importance, and its form varies with gender, number, and case. The specific form große is common for feminine singular and for neuter singular when preceded by a definite article, as well as in plural contexts without an article.

Examples illustrate its usage: Die große Stadt (feminine singular, nominative after a definite article), Das große Haus (neuter singular with definite article), Eine große Stadt (feminine singular with an indefinite article). In the plural without an article, the form is Große Städte or große Städte depending on capitalization and sentence position, while with a definite article the plural becomes die großen Städte.

As a proper noun, Große can function as a surname in German-speaking areas, written with a capital G. In historical or literary contexts, the word Große may also appear as part of a nickname or title, though such uses are less common in contemporary German outside careful stylistic choices.

Etymologically, groß derives from Old High German grōz and belongs to the broader Germanic root family that includes cognates in other Germanic languages. It is closely related to English great and grand in its semantic field, though spelling and usage have developed separately in modern German.

See also: groß, Größe, großartig, Großschrift.