Synonyms

mainly

American

[meyn-lee] / ˈmeɪn li /

adverb

chiefly; principally; for the most part; in the main; to the greatest extent.

Our success was due mainly to your efforts. The audience consisted mainly of students.
Obsolete. greatly; mightily; abundantly.

mainly British

/ ˈmeɪnlɪ /

adverb

for the most part; to the greatest extent; principally
obsolete strongly; very much

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mainly

First recorded in 1225–75, mainly is from the Middle English word maynliche, maynly. See main ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These duties on imports were easily collected at ports of entry, and mainly applied to manufactured products from Britain that were considered luxury goods.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

“Everyone’s talking about oil, but I think what the world is mainly short of is tokens,” said Ben Pouladian, an engineer and tech investor based in Los Angeles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

This has led streaming services to look for ways to increase profitability, mainly by cutting costs and raising prices.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Trichomonosis infects mainly greenfinches and chaffinches, and other species to a lesser extent.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

We stick mainly to the basics, things we’d be eating at home right now, like oats, winter greens, squash, and eggs.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023