1
: physical strength : force
—used in the phrase with might and main
The next instant we were away down the river, clawing with might and main to keep out of the woods.—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain3
: the chief part : essential point
they are in the main well-trained
4
: a pipe, duct, or circuit which carries the combined flow of tributary branches of a utility system
Synonyms
Noun
Adjective
Examples of main in a Sentence
Noun
My radio runs either off batteries or off the mains.
Turn off the water at the mains.
Adjective
Speed is the main advantage of this approach.
The company's main office is located in New York.
driving down the main road
This dish can be served as a main course or appetizer.
And now for the main event of the evening!
Recent Examples on the WebKylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Pair the meaty mains with spiced cracklins—crisped, fatty pork skin—and cornbread.
—Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024
The current menu is divided between morning and noon mains and pastries with an extensive beverage menu of coffee and tea, beer and cider, wine, cocktails and mocktails.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024
Highlights from the Valentine’s menu include a starter of Roasted Beet Salad, Chicory Salad or Oysters; a main of Mushroom Risotto, Bucatini Amatriciana, or Steelhead Trout; and dessert choice of Churros or Ice Cream Sundae, both featuring Happy Endings chocolate from Alice Mushrooms.
—Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
The tender and juicy-looking main has been a crowd pleaser among her own family and friends, Garten said.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Larger mains encompass octopus, scallops, and coho salmon on the seafood side, and steak, duck, and pork on the meat side.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024
Several videos also showed burst mains outside in freezing temperatures, with water sprouting onto the streets, forming thick steam clouds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
The water transmission main is expected to be repaired and back in service by the middle of next week.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024
Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
At the center of the vessel lies an expansive main saloon that exudes grandeur with ceilings that soar to nearly 20 feet and an abundance of plush seating.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
That shortage has pushed rents to levels many cannot afford, which advocates say is a main driver of rising homelessness.
—Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
Hamad International Airport first opened in 2014, replacing the adjacent Doha International Airport as Qatar's main aviation hub.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Considered one of Hong Kong’s original vintage fashion stores, its main flagship location (there are three) is in a winding arcade and carries a staggering assortment of vintage denim and workwear across two floors.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
Harvard University closes part of campus to the public
Harvard has closed its main lawn to the public in anticipation of pro-Palestinian protests following the recent uproar at Columbia.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
My main requirement in deciding whether someone is a good high school pitcher always has been the ability to throw strikes.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The mannered orchestration of the album’s other main contributor, Aaron Dessner, isn’t any fresher either.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
Noun
The Great Lakes Water Authority has isolated a break in a water transmission main in Northville that occurred early Friday morning.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Pair the meaty mains with spiced cracklins—crisped, fatty pork skin—and cornbread.
—Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024
The current menu is divided between morning and noon mains and pastries with an extensive beverage menu of coffee and tea, beer and cider, wine, cocktails and mocktails.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024
Highlights from the Valentine’s menu include a starter of Roasted Beet Salad, Chicory Salad or Oysters; a main of Mushroom Risotto, Bucatini Amatriciana, or Steelhead Trout; and dessert choice of Churros or Ice Cream Sundae, both featuring Happy Endings chocolate from Alice Mushrooms.
—Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
The tender and juicy-looking main has been a crowd pleaser among her own family and friends, Garten said.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Larger mains encompass octopus, scallops, and coho salmon on the seafood side, and steak, duck, and pork on the meat side.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024
Several videos also showed burst mains outside in freezing temperatures, with water sprouting onto the streets, forming thick steam clouds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
The water transmission main is expected to be repaired and back in service by the middle of next week.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Sabrina Carpenter makes her first appearance in the Top 10 of the songs chart after making her Coachella main stage debut over these last two weekends.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
At the center of the vessel lies an expansive main saloon that exudes grandeur with ceilings that soar to nearly 20 feet and an abundance of plush seating.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
That shortage has pushed rents to levels many cannot afford, which advocates say is a main driver of rising homelessness.
—Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
Hamad International Airport first opened in 2014, replacing the adjacent Doha International Airport as Qatar's main aviation hub.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Considered one of Hong Kong’s original vintage fashion stores, its main flagship location (there are three) is in a winding arcade and carries a staggering assortment of vintage denim and workwear across two floors.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
Harvard University closes part of campus to the public
Harvard has closed its main lawn to the public in anticipation of pro-Palestinian protests following the recent uproar at Columbia.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
My main requirement in deciding whether someone is a good high school pitcher always has been the ability to throw strikes.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The mannered orchestration of the album’s other main contributor, Aaron Dessner, isn’t any fresher either.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'main.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near main
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/main. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
main
2 of 2 adjective1
: chief entry 1 sense 2, principal
the main idea
2
: pure sense 3, sheer
by main force
3
: being a clause that is capable of standing alone as a simple sentence but is part of a larger sentence that includes a subordinate clause or another main clause
mainly
adverb
Geographical Definition
Main
geographical name
ˈmīn 
ˈmān
river 325 miles (523 kilometers) long in south central Germany rising in northern Bavaria in the Fichtelgebirge and flowing west into the Rhine River
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