the principal thoroughfare, especially through the business district, in a small town.
(initial capital letters) the outlook, environment, or life of a small town.
the most prominent street of a town, usually where the principal shops and businesses are situated
ordinary people in general
First recorded in 1735–45
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The main street was still decorated for Ramadan, and almost all houses seemed abandoned.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Its main street is lined with brick buildings, some more than 100 years old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 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
It was small; once she had come onto the main street she could see the corner at the end with the gas station and the church.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
On a drizzly morning in June, all was still on Tuskegee's South Main Street, a two-lane road that runs into the heart of the town square, where a towering Confederate monument loomed over the emptiness.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
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 incident occurred June 14 when officers from the Santa Ana Police Department responded around 10:30 p.m. to a family disturbance in the 3400 block of South Main Street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
They traced their philosophy to Thoreau and Gandhi, debating the great works of civil disobedience at Floyd McKissick’s office on Main Street in study and prayer sessions that often lasted all night.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
