mainstream

American  

[meyn-streem] / ˈmeɪnˌstrim /

noun

mainstreams plural

1. the principal or dominant course, tendency, or trend.

   the mainstream of American culture.

2. a river having tributaries.

3. regular school classes or regular schools.

   keeping autistic students in the mainstream.

---

adjective

1. belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely accepted group, movement, style, etc..

   mainstream Republicans;

   a mainstream artist;

   mainstream media.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz falling historically between Dixieland and modern jazz; specifically, swing music.

verb (used with object)

1. to send into the mainstream; cause to join the main force, group, etc..

   to mainstream young people into the labor force.

2. to place (students with disabilities) in regular school classes.

verb (used without object)

1. to join or be placed in the mainstream.

mainstream British  

/ ˈmeɪnˌstriːm /

noun

1. 1. the main current (of a river, cultural trend, etc)

      in the mainstream of modern literature

   2. ( as modifier )

      mainstream politics

---

adjective

1. of or relating to the style of jazz that lies between the traditional and the modern

mainstream Cultural  

1. The prevailing current or direction of a movement or influence: “The candidate's speech represented the mainstream thinking on economic policy.”

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mainstreams
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mainstream

First recorded in 1660–70; main ¹ + stream

Explanation

Mainstream describes what's viewed by most people in a society as "normal," like the mainstream view that everyone should get married, move to the suburbs, and have children as soon as they can. Something that's mainstream is conventional, or the usual way of doing things. If you're talking about the mainstream in fashion, you mean the ordinary clothes that most people wear and which is found in all the malls — nothing too weird or outlandish. In the 1600s, mainstream described the prevailing current of a river, with the first recorded use of its meaning of prevailing taste or opinion in 1831.

Example Sentences

The therapy remains controversial among mainstream oncologists, in part because there are few rigorous clinical studies evaluating its efficacy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Unsurprisingly, given that most people tend to find coffee enemas after reports of being failed by Western medicine, mainstream gastroenterology is not on board with this practice.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Laurel Sutherlin, 49, and Brianna Cayo Cotter, 45, are avoiding mainstream festivities entirely and camping in the Adirondacks with friends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026

Youth Beatz features established mainstream artists performing live, and while every effort is made to ensure performances are appropriate for the event, live performances are not entirely within the council's control.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

Indeed, it is possible to date the chasm that was to develop between the populist mainstream and the classical avant-garde in music to this place and time.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall