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

The prosecution continued to verify with Yaro further evidence collected at the time of Horner's arrest, which chiefly involved the clothes collected from him at the jail. —Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026

Bologna, chiefly through Rowe, kept Villa on their heels. —Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Adjective

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

Matt McClain, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, said the United States looks to its own oil production and chiefly imports from Canada and Mexico. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 3 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