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

Meanwhile, international travelers are mainly headed to Europe, with the most popular locales being Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London and Athens. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 13 May 2026

The film was done with great care, certainly beautifully shot and the acting was impeccable, given that Katharina was working mainly with young non-actors. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 May 2026

Aimed mainly toward men between 18 and 49 years old, hot talk mixed vulgar jokes with talk about pop culture and politics and often took political positions contrary to feminism and liberalism. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 May 2026

The remaining 70% comes from managing process change—mainly from redesigning workstreams and processes end-to-end. —Paul Goydan, Fortune, 13 May 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