mainly
Americanadverb
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chiefly; principally; for the most part; in the main; to the greatest extent.
Our success was due mainly to your efforts. The audience consisted mainly of students.
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Obsolete. greatly; mightily; abundantly.
adverb
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for the most part; to the greatest extent; principally
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obsolete strongly; very much
Etymology
Origin of mainly
First recorded in 1225–75, mainly is from the Middle English word maynliche, maynly. See main 1, -ly
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.
Growth in China, the world's second-largest economy, was expected to slow, the IMF said, mainly because of weak domestic demand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Around 220 jobs will transfer mainly from its technology unit to the country units, it added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
I mainly knew she liked “Twilight Zone,” but I didn’t realize the depth of it to the point where she named one of her kids after a character in a “Twilight Zone” episode.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
“This worry shouldn’t transfer to the general public right now, mainly because there is nothing for you to do and your risk is so low.”
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Three: Away from home and the inevitable comparisons with Gretchen, I enrolled as an art major at a college known mainly for its animal-husbandry program.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
