1
: most importantly : principally, especially
Synonyms
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
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
Tusk, leader of the opposition Civic Coalition, and Polish media allege that the government admitted about 130,000 Muslim migrants last year despite its anti-migrant statements, aimed chiefly at non-Christians.
—Monika Scislowska, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
Delicate questions have yet to be worked out between Saudi Arabia and Israel – chiefly the Saudis’ reported insistence that Israel’s far-right government recommit to the idea of an eventual two-state agreement with the Palestinians.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2023
No Rain for many Days, Winds chiefly at West and N. West.
—Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
Meanwhile, the true heroes are – drumroll, please – the journalists, chiefly WSJ’s Sean McLain and Nick Kostov, chasing down the leads and leaks and data dumps that make the story possible.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2023
At its core this story is about trauma and loss, suffered chiefly by Adele who was deprived of her family and early chances to expand her intellectual capacity, warehoused in the notorious Willowbrook State School.
—Longreads, 11 Aug. 2023
But despite its age-old connotation, the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae remains a real and very present danger, with some 200,000 people in 120 countries reporting the tell-tale signs of the disease—chiefly skin lesions, lumps, ulcers, and loss of sensation.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2023
Since her convention win and ensuing controversies, Maloy has stuck chiefly to media appearances and right-wing podcasts where she was not asked about the controversy.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2023
After the British arrived, Tu, a scion of a chiefly family on Tahiti, dealt cleverly with the newcomers.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022
Known to Samoans by her chiefly title of Fiame, the daughter of the country's original prime minister served as Samoa's first female cabinet minister from 1991 to 2006.
—Erin Spencer, Forbes, 19 May 2021
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Adverb
This is a characterization that applies chiefly to despots and authoritarian types; dictators who engineer their systems to stay in power for far longer than democracy typically allows.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
Tusk, leader of the opposition Civic Coalition, and Polish media allege that the government admitted about 130,000 Muslim migrants last year despite its anti-migrant statements, aimed chiefly at non-Christians.
—Monika Scislowska, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
Delicate questions have yet to be worked out between Saudi Arabia and Israel – chiefly the Saudis’ reported insistence that Israel’s far-right government recommit to the idea of an eventual two-state agreement with the Palestinians.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2023
No Rain for many Days, Winds chiefly at West and N. West.
—Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
Meanwhile, the true heroes are – drumroll, please – the journalists, chiefly WSJ’s Sean McLain and Nick Kostov, chasing down the leads and leaks and data dumps that make the story possible.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2023
At its core this story is about trauma and loss, suffered chiefly by Adele who was deprived of her family and early chances to expand her intellectual capacity, warehoused in the notorious Willowbrook State School.
—Longreads, 11 Aug. 2023
But despite its age-old connotation, the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae remains a real and very present danger, with some 200,000 people in 120 countries reporting the tell-tale signs of the disease—chiefly skin lesions, lumps, ulcers, and loss of sensation.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2023
Since her convention win and ensuing controversies, Maloy has stuck chiefly to media appearances and right-wing podcasts where she was not asked about the controversy.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023
Adjective
That includes chiefly masks of various types and hand-washing.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2023
After the British arrived, Tu, a scion of a chiefly family on Tahiti, dealt cleverly with the newcomers.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022
Known to Samoans by her chiefly title of Fiame, the daughter of the country's original prime minister served as Samoa's first female cabinet minister from 1991 to 2006.
—Erin Spencer, Forbes, 19 May 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chiefly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near chiefly
Cite this Entry
“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiefly. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
chiefly
adverb
chief·ly
ˈchē-flē
1
: above all
2
: for the most part
More from Merriam-Webster on chiefly
Nglish: Translation of chiefly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of chiefly for Arabic Speakers
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