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

Following the original Spaceballs movie — a parody of contemporary sci-fi films, particularly Star Wars — Moranis and Brooks mainly kept in contact by phone. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

However, sources indicate the issue was mainly verbal, with insults tossed back and forth. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026

As a result, endurance is mainly limited by food supplies, equipment maintenance, and crew readiness rather than fuel. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026

Stefan Rittner, senior portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors, said markets were more likely to accept measures that improve productivity, labor supply and long-term growth than spending aimed mainly at supporting consumption. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 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