mainstream

American  

[meyn-streem] / ˈmeɪnˌstrim /

noun

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.

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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

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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.”

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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

When I learned I had chronic myelogenous leukemia at age 37, in 1991, the internet was still nascent, there were no mainstream browsers yet and little consumer-friendly medical content online.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Back when late-night TV sets were still the primary route for a comedian to reach a mainstream audience, Ari Shaffir found a different way to make his mark.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The rapper has been seeking a return to mainstream public view after apologising for his actions in a lengthy statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

At the beginning of the 20th century, a new set of first principles of government was introduced into the American mainstream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

A classic case, she said, and recommended that the child be pulled from the mainstream and sent to a special school.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis