chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

chief·​ly ˈchē-flē 

1

: most importantly : principally, especially

2

: for the most part : mostly, mainly

chiefly

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to a chief

chiefly duties

Synonyms of chiefly

Adverb

• mainly
• mostly
• primarily
• largely
• principally
• predominantly

Examples of chiefly in a Sentence

Adverb

our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Truth is always in harmony with herself, and is not concerned chiefly to reveal the justice that may consist with wrong-doing. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Galland embellished his ghouls with new characteristics not found in the original Arabic, chiefly the macabre practice of digging up graves to feast on human flesh. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Astilbe is a noun meaning any of a genus of chiefly Asian perennial plants of the saxifrage family that have simple or usually compound leaves and are widely cultivated for their panicles of usually white, pink or red flowers. — City News Service, Daily News, 26 May 2026

The annual celebration, which traces its roots back to the chiefly British Empire Day, observes the unity of the Commonwealth of Nations, an international association of 56 countries. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chiefly

• briefly

Kids Definition

chiefly

adverb

chief·​ly

ˈchē-flē

1

: above all

2

: for the most part