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Synonyms

mostly

American  
[mohst-lee] / ˈmoʊst li /

adverb

  1. for the most most much part; in the main.

    The work is mostly done.

  2. chiefly; principally.

  3. generally; customarily.

mostly British  
/ ˈməʊstlɪ /

adverb

  1. almost entirely; chiefly

  2. on many or most occasions; usually

"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

Etymology

Origin of mostly

First recorded in 1585–95; most + -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.

“Sorry,” he said brightly, “I threw up in that seat on the 405 yesterday, but I think I mostly cleaned it up.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The stock market overcame a steep early slide to mostly finish higher.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

A Phase 3 trial found that patients taking Zepbound or Wegovy injections who then switched to Foundayo were able to mostly maintain their weight loss.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Since then, for a host of complicated and mostly unforeseeable reasons, disparate circumstances across the region incline, slowly, in a promising direction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I decide my need to know mostly outweighs my preference to not know.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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.