CHIEFLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

chiefly

adverb

ˈchē-flē

Definition of chiefly

as in mainly

for the most part our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies

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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.

Recent Examples of chiefly The state has been using those surpluses chiefly to build reserves and reduce the state’s hefty pension debt, which still exceeds $30 billion. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 Dostoyevsky’s sniveling devil comes closest to portraying the man chiefly responsible for organizing the Final Solution. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Many of these business owners are driven chiefly by a desire to be their own bosses rather than to become rich, Zwick said. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 There, the war stoked longtime secessionist sentiments, fronted chiefly by the Southern Transitional Council -- a bloc that until 2025 held sway in the south and was backed by the United Arab Emirates. — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chiefly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiefly

Adverb

What to do nearby The Algarve is mainly populated with beach resorts—and most are much larger than this one.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Reps for Busfield, who has been out on bond and mainly on the East Coast since the beginning of the year, and his main lawyer Larry Stein did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the news.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Though their loss to the Vikings was mostly to a backup quarterback there as well.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

The system is primarily intended to counter small unmanned aircraft.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Their list consists primarily of interventions such as more per-pupil funding, banning cellphones and restricting artificial intelligence in the classroom.

— Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Advertisement France has never seen so many violent incidents in a movement made up largely of high school students.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Violent crime concentrates in poor neighborhoods, and largely because of our history, Black Americans are far more likely than white Americans to live in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

That shift carries potential implications for concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, which has relied principally on federal support, particularly from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The whole city ends up bearing the brunt of astronomical housing prices that, whatever their other causes, are principally downstream from a housing market that quite simply cannot keep up with demand.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

As the military-style helicopter hovered above them, attendees from the rural, predominantly Latino community, began to get nervous.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
While bold in its coloring, the new Santa style isn’t the first time Michael Jordan’s classic Air Jordan 3 has been given a predominantly red makeover.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominantly

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chief justices

chiefly

chiefs

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“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chiefly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of chiefly

adverb

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