chiefly

adverb

chief·ly | \ ˈchē-flē

Definition of chiefly

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : most importantly : principally, especially

2 : for the most part : mostly, mainly

chiefly

adjective

Definition of chiefly (Entry 2 of 2)

: of or relating to a chief chiefly duties

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about chiefly

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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 amendment is chiefly sponsored by Representative Justin Amash, Republican of Michigan, and Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California. — Charlie Savage, New York Times, "Surveillance and Privacy Debate Reaches Pivotal Moment in Congress," 10 Jan. 2018 Another 300 miles, predominantly in rural areas, had barriers chiefly designed to stop vehicles. — Louise Radnofsky, WSJ, "The Border Wall, Mile by Mile," 14 Feb. 2019 China is not chiefly responsible for the decline in Pakistan’s dollar reserves, because the higher import spending entailed by the CPEC has been accompanied by greater lending from Beijing. — The Economist, "Pakistan faces a currency crisis. Who will help?," 14 June 2018 Many are for film or television—and have grown out of books picked by Witherspoon for her book club, an Oprah-like venture that lives chiefly on Instagram, where its total number of followers inches toward 800,000. — Zoë Ghertner, Vogue, "Reese Witherspoon: Activist, Advocate, Hollywood’s Moral Compass," 10 Jan. 2019 Merriam-Webster’s choice is based chiefly on the frequency of look-ups on their online site, which the editors analyze over the course of the year. — Ben Zimmer, WSJ, "‘Justice’ Is a Judicious Choice for ‘Word of the Year’," 21 Dec. 2018 Now that the president, whose Iran strategy has been focused chiefly on the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, has withdrawn from that pact, his administration may turn its attention to dealing with Tehran’s network of proxy groups. — Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, "In Bahrain, a smoldering insurgency reveals the resilience of Iran’s proxy war," 18 May 2018 Related But investors appeared more focused on global economic concerns, chiefly how the U.S. and China will proceed with their trade spat. — Michael Wursthorn, WSJ, "U.S. Stocks Inch Higher, Led by Industrial Companies," 11 Feb. 2019 Federal workers—chiefly within the aviation industry—calling out sick has been a recurring theme since the government closed its doors. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Major Airports Face Staffing Shortages and Delays Amid Government Shutdown," 25 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chiefly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.