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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

See Examples For:

main street Main Street

Every day, she walks to the main street with her golden retriever, Riley, and enjoys Pilates, art and good food along the way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

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

“We buy gold” signs line the town’s main street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

This restaurant was at the very end of the long main street and the name of the place was the New York Café.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Others argue, with some force, that the true definition of “risk” is one that everyone on Main Street would instinctively understand: Forget the volatility — what are the chances I will lose my money?

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Fiserv provides financial technology that connects Wall Street to Main Street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The policy is similar to that of Disneyland, where visitors must pass through security to access Main Street, U.S.A., before the entrance to the theme park and California Adventure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

This became known as the Big Bang IPO, the moment Wall Street and Main Street fell hard for the future promises of high-tech.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

That wasn't for lack of trying; two days earlier he had walked the entire length of Main Street looking for the corner of "Main and Not Main."

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville