chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

chief·​ly ˈchē-flē How to pronounce chiefly (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
And while Sirens shows flickers of ambition to transcend the typical A-list crime soap, its admittedly addictive pleasures are chiefly of the sudsy variety. Judy Berman, Time, 22 May 2025 Barreto, while maintaining the FWC’s investigation contributed to Pino now facing a felony charge, said aspects of the investigation, chiefly why the body camera footage wasn’t retained as evidence, will be reevaluated. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
Adjective
The United States has exported chiefly chemicals, machinery and transportation equipment to Russia and imported mainly oils, chemicals and metals. Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 This month, a new kind of space telescope is setting out on a two-year mission to create four complete maps of the entire celestial sky that will catalog the origins of the universe and seek out the ingredients of life − chiefly water and carbon dioxide molecules − in distant interstellar clouds. Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chiefly

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chiefly was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiefly. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

chiefly

adverb
chief·​ly
ˈchē-flē
1
: above all
2
: for the most part

More from Merriam-Webster on chiefly

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