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• main street
  main street

  noun

  the principal thoroughfare, especially through the business district, in a small town.
• Main Street
  Main Street

  noun

  a novel (1920) by Sinclair Lewis.

main street

¹ American  

noun

main streets plural

1. the principal thoroughfare, especially through the business district, in a small town.

2. (initial capital letters) the outlook, environment, or life of a small town.

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Main Street ² American  

noun

1. a novel (1920) by Sinclair Lewis.

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Main Street British  

noun

1. the most prominent street of a town, usually where the principal shops and businesses are situated

2. ordinary people in general

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• main streets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of main street

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

There is a bustle about the main street and sitting with a coffee by the banks of the River Fleet feels like a good place to leave your worries behind you.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

At their home, a large one-story villa off a dirt road leading to the town’s main street, Scott introduces me to a lifestyle designed to promote wellness.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The mural would be Bolding’s first public piece of art on a main street.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Locals, some with dogs in tow, marched down Telluride’s main street chanting, “End it now!”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

This was the back of the police station in a large alleyway that opened to the main street after two other buildings.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh