# \big

Manual fixed-size delimiter used as an ordinary math symbol when automatic \left...\right sizing is undesirable.

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/big

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Topic | [Delimiters](https://texform.dev/latex/topics/delimiters) |
| Packages | base |
| Allowed mode | math |
| Tags | presentation |
| Commonality | medium |
| Kind | prefix |

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: `m:D`

Manual fixed-size delimiter used as an ordinary math symbol when automatic \left...\right sizing is undesirable.

## Common tasks

### How to enlarge a parenthesis a little

\big is a fixed size, unlike stretchy \left...\right.

```latex
\big( a+b \big)
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbig%28+a%2Bb+%5Cbig%29)

### How to enlarge a set-builder bar

```latex
\big\{ x \bigm| x>0 \big\}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbig%5C%7B+x+%5Cbigm%7C+x%3E0+%5Cbig%5C%7D)

### How to enlarge a fraction slash

```latex
a\big/b
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=a%5Cbig%2Fb)

## Examples

```latex
\big(
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbig%28)

```latex
\big\langle
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbig%5Clangle)

```latex
\big{(}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cbig%7B%28%7D)

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | full |

## Usage frequency

3.22% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 18 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

TeXForm parses this entry as prefix syntax; the package determines its argument specification.

### [base/big-delimiter-size-drop](https://texform.dev/rules/base/big-delimiter-size-drop)

Drop the fixed delimiter size imposed by \big.

Level: equiv. Fidelity: reading.

```latex
\big (
```

→

```latex
(
```

```latex
a\big(b
```

→

```latex
a(b
```

## See also

- [\\Big](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Big)
- [\\bigg](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/bigg)
- [\\Bigg](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Bigg)
- [\\biggl](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/biggl)
- [\\Biggl](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Biggl)
- [\\biggm](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/biggm)
- [\\Biggm](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Biggm)
- [\\biggr](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/biggr)
- [\\Biggr](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Biggr)
- [\\bigl](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/bigl)
- [\\Bigl](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Bigl)
- [\\bigm](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/bigm)
- [\\Bigm](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Bigm)
- [\\bigr](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/bigr)
- [\\Bigr](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Bigr)

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \big ( | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| \big a | Negative: neg:D[0] | Fail | Fail | Fail |