mainstay

noun

main·​stay ˈmān-ˌstā 

plural mainstays

1

a

: a crucial or key part of something

Fish is the mainstay of their diet.

Tourism is a mainstay of the city's economy.

The mainstay of treatment for chronic hives of unknown origin is antihistamine medications.

—Mayo Clinic Health Letter

b

: someone or something that is a principal or reliable support or resource

Tourism is one of the city's economic mainstays.

Her immense pride in him and unquestioning support were among the few mainstays in his life.

—Robert V. Remini

2

: a ship's stay (see stay entry 1 sense 1) extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast

Synonyms of mainstay

• anchor
• backbone
• pillar
• standby

Examples of mainstay in a Sentence

Fish is a mainstay of their diet.

My mother has always been the mainstay of our family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tom Hill / Getty Images The band's rock-chic cool played well on the nascent MTV crowd and their videos, featuring models in short skirts emerging from one of Gibbons' custom roadsters, became a mainstay. — CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Long before becoming a Hollywood mainstay with a market cap of over $315 billion, Netflix was struggling to stay afloat. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

Now, though, the entertainment mainstay is confident enough in its financial stability to be embarking on an ambitious expansion plan. — Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Released by Bristol City after three seasons as a mainstay of their team in the second-tier Championship, the former Manchester United academy kid unwittingly found himself in limbo. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for mainstay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

mainstay

noun

main·​stay -ˌstā 

1

: a large strong rope running from the maintop of a ship usually to the foot of the foremast

2

: a chief support

the mainstay of the family