chiefly
Americanadverb
-
primarily; essentially.
He phoned chiefly to let us know he was feeling better.
-
mainly; mostly.
This dish consists chiefly of noodles.
adjective
adverb
-
especially or essentially; above all
-
in general; mainly; mostly
adjective
Synonym Usage
See especially.
Etymology
Origin of chiefly
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at chief, -ly
Explanation
Use the adverb chiefly to mean "mostly" or "primarily." You could say your history class is chiefly focused on 18th century American history if all your teacher wants to talk about is the American Revolution. If you usually ride your bike to work, you can say, "I'm chiefly a bicycle commuter," and your neighbor's obituary might mention that she'll be chiefly remembered for her work as a civil rights activist in the 1960s. You can also use chiefly to mean "for the most part," when you talk about the contents or composition of something: "My granola is chiefly almonds." The word comes from the Old French chief, "principal" or "first."
Vocabulary lists containing chiefly
Essential English Vocabulary, List 7
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The Horse and His Boy
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Bad Boy
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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.
The CIA is the agency chiefly involved in spies and counterspies.
From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026
Demand loss is being seen chiefly in the Middle East, Asian frontier economies and Africa, which has little surplus and scant ability to absorb higher costs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
It also sells to do-it-yourselfers, chiefly through its fergusonhome.com External link website.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Perhaps the least radical manifesto was proposed by Scottish Labour, with the party chiefly focused on improving existing services rather than drawing up new ones.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Captain Wallace and his son tonged for oysters in the winter, and in the summer they netted fish, chiefly menhaden and rockfish.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
