mainly

[meyn-lee]

See more synonyms for mainly on Thesaurus.com

adverb

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.
Obsolete. greatly; mightily; abundantly.

Origin of mainly

First recorded in 1225–75, mainly is from the Middle English word maynliche, maynly. See main¹, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mainly

Contemporary Examples

Atefeh says the participants in the underground classes she attends are mainly young women.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread
IranWire
January 2, 2015
Cricket is a sport enjoyed by hundreds of millions around the globe, mainly in former British colonies.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player
William O’Connor
December 24, 2014
It would transport bitumen and liquefied natural gas drawn from the tar sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast, mainly in Texas.
The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL
Jack Holmes
November 15, 2014
At the end of the day, however, both have been mainly self-protective powers.
There’s Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work With Assad and Iran
Leslie H. Gelb
October 18, 2014
But the other couples are mainly devout Catholics who toe the party line when it comes to birth control and divorce.
The Pope vs. the Church on Family Values?
Barbie Latza Nadeau
October 6, 2014

Historical Examples

Opera at both houses had been killed, mainly by the folly of party strife.
Handel
Edward J. Dent
Mainly we laid on our backs and talked; we didn't want to go to sleep.
Tom Sawyer Abroad
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
If it was mainly invented by Wheatstone, it was chiefly introduced by Cooke.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
That is mainly why I wished to see you—to say good-by, for the time.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
The New Englanders were mainly farmers, hunters, and fishermen.
The Nation in a Nutshell
George Makepeace Towle

British Dictionary definitions for mainly

mainly

adverb

for the most part; to the greatest extent; principally
obsolete strongly; very much

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mainly

adv.

late 13c., "vigorously," from main (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "especially" is from c.1400; that of "for the most part" is from 1660s.

mainly

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Examples from the Web for mainly

Contemporary Examples

Atefeh says the participants in the underground classes she attends are mainly young women.

Cricket is a sport enjoyed by hundreds of millions around the globe, mainly in former British colonies.

It would transport bitumen and liquefied natural gas drawn from the tar sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast, mainly in Texas.

At the end of the day, however, both have been mainly self-protective powers.

But the other couples are mainly devout Catholics who toe the party line when it comes to birth control and divorce.

Historical Examples

Opera at both houses had been killed, mainly by the folly of party strife.

Mainly we laid on our backs and talked; we didn't want to go to sleep.

If it was mainly invented by Wheatstone, it was chiefly introduced by Cooke.

That is mainly why I wished to see you—to say good-by, for the time.

The New Englanders were mainly farmers, hunters, and fishermen.

mainly

Word Origin and History for mainly

adv.

Origin of mainly