main 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of mainnext
as in primary
coming before all others in importance this is the main point of the study—everything else is secondary

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

main

2 of 2

noun

ˈmān How to pronounce main (audio)
1
as in power
muscular strength all their might and main could not budge the stalled car

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2
as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division islanders periodically traveled back to the main for supplies

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3
as in core
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the main of the tree is still healthy

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Example Sentences

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 main
Adjective
This was a main thoroughfare with hundreds of people, including Orange fans, walking through all of this. — Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 In the co-main event, Armando Resendiz (17-3) outlasted Australia’s Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1) by unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
Salty from the soy sauce and sweet from the honey, this salmon is beautifully broiled and a great option for a lighter main with lots of flavor. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 Over the course of several hours, a kaleidoscopic array of appetizers, mains and desserts were paraded out for the hundreds of guests wearing their Sunday finery. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
  1. primary
  2. power
  3. continent
  4. core
  5. predominant
  6. muscle
  7. mainland
  8. body
Adjective
  • The primary danger of these apps is not the fees associated with using just one, Feltner noted.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The bill was introduced over a year ago, and its primary backer was the late Lindsey Graham, a veteran Republican senator who represented South Carolina.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of primary
Noun
  • Its boosted flat-six engine receives a power bump, and rear-axle steering is now standard, as are larger brakes with six-piston calipers up front.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Europe is now home to some of the most promising companies building clean power, while remaining an expensive place to buy it.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • The film will open in Vietnamese cinemas at the end of October, with 3388 Films’ theatrical rollout across several continents set to follow later this year.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • These fiber-optic lines carry everything from cloud traffic and financial transactions to video calls between continents.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of continent
Noun
  • The first step is to establish an identity of how to give that represents your core values.
    — Melissa Stevens, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • If the Petten trials succeed, Thorizon’s swappable core could offer a clear path forward.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of core
Adjective
  • The defense team plans to employ Othram to conduct a Y-STR test, a method that isolates DNA from the Y chromosome to generate a profile of a male contributor in samples where female DNA is predominant.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There are two predominant rumors about how a wild herd ended up in the Inland Empire, Spasojevic said.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of predominant
Noun
  • Federal physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening exercise on at least two days.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Legacy Effects made full-size physical references, while ILM developed a digital muscle system and explored movements inspired by elephant seals and sumo wrestlers.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of muscle
Noun
  • Encore acquired worldwide distribution rights outside mainland China from Chow’s production banner, The Star Overseas, in June.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Migrants from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa regularly attempt to cross the border fences around Ceuta and Melilla, seeing the Spanish cities as gateways to mainland Europe.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mainland
Noun
  • His son, Gal Meir, was killed in Gaza in December 2023, during an operation to recover the bodies of two Israeli hostages.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel for lacerations across her body, a broken rib and four broken vertebrae.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of body

Phrases Containing main

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maims
main
mainland
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Cite this Entry

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

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