main·stream
ˈmān-ˌstrēm 
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
: having, reflecting, or being compatible with the prevailing attitudes and values of a society or group
mainstream media
movies that appeal to a mainstream audience
mainstream success
main·stream
ˈmān-ˈstrēm
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams
1
: to place (a student, such as a disabled child) in regular school classes
2
: to incorporate in the mainstream
Examples of mainstream in a Sentence
Verb
The poor should be mainstreamed into the private health-insurance system.
Ideas that were once controversial have now become mainstreamed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 4 May 2025
Just before taking over at the NIH, Bhattacharya helped start a new journal aimed at providing an alternative to mainstream publications.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 2 May 2025
Elizabeth Rossiello, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
With thousands of tickets already sold, Miche Fest, a Chicago street festival of Latino music gone mainstream, was canceled on Tuesday just weeks before its July dates at Oakwood Beach.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Angel Diaz, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2025
What’s striking is how quickly premium sleep tech has moved from medical to mainstream.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
Certainly, Tyla sporting the style has played a part in the prominence of boho braids in mainstream culture.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 4 May 2025
Just before taking over at the NIH, Bhattacharya helped start a new journal aimed at providing an alternative to mainstream publications.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 2 May 2025
Adjective
The adoption of stablecoins by mainstream global liquidity providers could bring faster transactions, lower costs of doing business, and easier global transfer to businesses and individuals alike.
—Elizabeth Rossiello, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
With thousands of tickets already sold, Miche Fest, a Chicago street festival of Latino music gone mainstream, was canceled on Tuesday just weeks before its July dates at Oakwood Beach.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Verb
Birdman revealed some interesting tidbits about Cash Money’s rise from New Orleans street label to mainstream powerhouse.
—Angel Diaz, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2025
What’s striking is how quickly premium sleep tech has moved from medical to mainstream.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
ˌmān-ˌstrēm
: relating to or being tobacco smoke that is drawn (as from a cigarette) directly into the mouth of the smoker and is usually inhaled into the lungs compare sidestream
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