mainly

adverb

main·​ly ˈmān-lē 

1

obsolete : in a forceful manner

2

: for the most part : chiefly

Synonyms of mainly

• mostly
• primarily
• chiefly
• largely
• predominantly
• principally
• basically
• generally

Examples of mainly in a Sentence

you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters' pocketbooks. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Japan and South Korea continued to deliver positive results, driven mainly by local clients. — Luisa Zargani, 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

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mainly

• plainly
• sanely
• vainly
• humanely
• insanely
• profanely
• ungainly