mostly
Americanadverb
-
for the most part; in the main.
The work is mostly done.
-
chiefly; principally.
-
generally; customarily.
adverb
-
almost entirely; chiefly
-
on many or most occasions; usually
Etymology
Origin of mostly
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 giant computer campuses, which are mostly void of human beings, have become a focal point of the growing revolt against an increasingly predatory tech industry.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
She said both species had seen declines in their numbers over the last 150 years, mostly because of the loss of their heathland homes.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
At a Culver factory visited recently by The Wall Street Journal, workers were building drones from parts that could mostly be found at an average hardware store.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
However, its overall fiscal deficit narrowed sharply from 13.4 percent of GDP in 2024 to 6.4 percent of GDP in 2025, mostly driven by spending rationalisation, the IMF said in June.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
“She never got married and she mostly stayed inside her house all alone, right? And she wasn’t famous when she was alive. Her poems were only published after she died.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
