mainstream

American  

[meyn-streem] / ˈmeɪnˌstrim /

noun

1. the principal or dominant course, tendency, or trend.

   the mainstream of American culture.

2. a river having tributaries.

3. regular school classes or regular schools.

   keeping autistic students in the mainstream.

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adjective

1. belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely accepted group, movement, style, etc..

   mainstream Republicans;

   a mainstream artist;

   mainstream media.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz falling historically between Dixieland and modern jazz; specifically, swing music.

verb (used with object)

1. to send into the mainstream; cause to join the main force, group, etc..

   to mainstream young people into the labor force.

2. to place (students with disabilities) in regular school classes.

verb (used without object)

1. to join or be placed in the mainstream.

mainstream British  

/ ˈmeɪnˌstriːm /

noun

1. 1. the main current (of a river, cultural trend, etc)

      in the mainstream of modern literature

   2. ( as modifier )

      mainstream politics

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adjective

1. of or relating to the style of jazz that lies between the traditional and the modern

mainstream Cultural  

1. The prevailing current or direction of a movement or influence: “The candidate's speech represented the mainstream thinking on economic policy.”

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Etymology

Origin of mainstream

First recorded in 1660–70; main ¹ + stream

Example Sentences

And though nods in the big three mainstream categories didn’t materialize, that wasn’t a total surprise for an LP so meticulous about playing with classic Latin genres.

From Los Angeles Times

"All of this occurs in a larger global context where radical ideas are more mainstream and socially acceptable, manifested in this particular Croatian context," he said.

From Barron's

Han took over leadership of the Unification Church after the death of her husband Moon Sun-myung, who founded the assembly in 1954 after he was rejected by mainstream Protestant churches.

From Barron's

The fledgling party had "a unique opportunity" to found "a socialist party of mass appeal" that could take on the mainstream parties of parliament, he said.

From BBC

Marley has also started at mainstream school and can "sit up in class in his chair and be like the other kids".

From BBC