mainly

adverb

main·​ly ˈmān-lē How to pronounce mainly (audio)
Synonyms of mainlynext
1
obsolete : in a forceful manner
2
: for the most part : chiefly

Synonyms of mainly

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Examples of mainly in a Sentence

you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This meant that leverage was mainly available to the advisors with a big enough book to fund it. — Jerry Jihao Bai, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Equinix has mainly stuck to its old playbook of building smaller data centers in locations close to city centers, positioning them as network interconnection hubs. — Isabel O'Brien,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 The digital rights group Software Freedom Law Centre told NPR of unprecedented social media censorship by the government on platforms like Meta and X, mainly blocking of posts critical of Modi and his government. — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026 The bills mainly affect CSU, which awards far more bachelor’s degrees than UC and a smaller share of master’s and doctoral degrees. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainly was in the 13th century

Rhymes for mainly

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Browse Nearby Words

mainliner
mainly
main/major road
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Cite this Entry

“Mainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainly. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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