MAINLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

mainly

adverb

ˈmān-lē

Definition of mainly

as in mostly

for the most part you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing

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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 mainly For upper income teens, footwear spend rose 4 percent, driven mainly by male teens, with female teen spend flat to last year, according to a report from Piper analyst Anna Andreeva. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 There were also parts that were not as successful — mainly the parts marred by his physical unreadiness. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026 Moisture return will be relatively slow, so mainly dry conditions should continue. — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 In the human intestine, microorganisms are concentrated mainly in a mucus layer near the villi’s surface. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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

Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The animation of the original series was overseen by three South Korean studios, chiefly JM Animation in the early seasons and MOI Animation in the latter ones.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefly

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

Some predominantly Muslim neighborhoods on the city's peripheries, with narrow and steep mazelike streets, have high crime rates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
After seven years of promoting local businesses in San Francisco’s predominantly Latino Mission District, the nonprofit has a brick-and-mortar space that reflects its passion for the neighborhood.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominantly

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

The new tech, which the company refers to as a magnetic coupling dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) road system, basically builds a wireless charging system into the roads themselves.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
The prosecutor argued the beatings basically never stopped, claiming footage showed nannies beating one child, then turning their violence toward any of the other toddlers who wept while watching.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of basically

Adverb

The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Photos were generally limited to 2,048 pixels on the long edge, while videos could be delivered at resolutions up to 720p.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of generally

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mainlands

mainly

main man

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

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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