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

Ironically, despite serving mainly men, the road was originally named after the 3rd Earl of Burlington’s wife, Lady Dorothy Savile. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

This is mainly because there are now more online diamond retailers than ever before. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025

Williams said the data may have a downward bias because it was collected mainly in the second half of November, when sales were widespread, and noted there were also complications with rent and other categories. —Yun Li, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025

This new decision, passed via legislation last week, marks a departure from previous restrictions which have mainly kept well-to-do buyers out of New Zealand’s real-estate hair since 2018. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mainly

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