noun
-
nautical the forestay that braces the mainmast
-
a chief support
Etymology
Origin of mainstay
Explanation
A mainstay is something that acts as a source of support for a community. If your hometown's economy depends on tourists visiting every summer, you could say that tourism is the mainstay of your town. A mainstay holds everything together, whether it's your grandmother who acts as the anchor of your whole crazy family, a pillar that physically keeps a building from falling down, or the job that enables you to pay your rent every month. The noun mainstay is originally a nautical term meaning the rope that stabilizes two masts on a sailboat, and since the 1780s it's been used to mean "chief support."
Vocabulary lists containing mainstay
Beowulf
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Culture: October 5–11, 2019
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The sketch-comedy mainstay remains a ratings juggernaut, and the version it recently exported to the United Kingdom was renewed Thursday for a second season.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Piled high with chicken fingers, chicken wings, spare ribs and teriyaki skewers crowded around a blue Sterno flame, Pu Pu Platters are a beloved menu mainstay throughout the six states.
From Salon • May 3, 2026
Field is also high on German armaments mainstay Rheinmetall, Morningstar’s top pick in a European defense sector that has counterintuitively declined as the U.S. depletes munitions in the Persian Gulf.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, a recent mainstay of England's T20 squads, was not considered for selection as she is recovering from a broken finger and has not played this season.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Millions of acres of forests were sprayed instead of thou sands as before, in an effort to save the balsams, which are the mainstay of the pulp and paper industry.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
