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
Related Words
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.
It wasn’t just, or even chiefly, the miasma of sleaze and corruption that seemed to surround her wherever she went.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
But the two-income model comes with trade-offs, chiefly child care.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Greece has seen well over a million migrant arrivals since 2015 - chiefly through sea crossings but also along its land border with Turkey.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Will Denyer, chief economist at Gavekal Research, suggests pairing long positions in Brazilian and South Korean Equities: Brazil chiefly as a hedge against ongoing conflict and South Korea as a bet on peace.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
“They appeared chiefly on the arms, but they sometimes extended to the breast.”
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
