mainly

adverb

main·​ly ˈmān-lē How to pronounce mainly (audio)
Synonyms of mainlynext
1
obsolete : in a forceful manner
2
: for the most part : chiefly

Examples of mainly in a Sentence

you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The city depends mainly on the Florida River, with large draws of summer water from the Animas River. David Marston, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026 Some of the storms have the potential to be strong, mainly in far northwest Missouri, with gusty winds, heavy rains and isolated large hail possible, the weather service said. Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026 Naughty, mainly, because Vlad is a married man with a three-year-old daughter. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026 It was terminated in 2021 and since then Spears has mainly been seen through posts on her social media accounts, often in videos of her dancing posted to Instagram. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainly was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainly. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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