mainly

adverb

main·​ly ˈmān-lē 

1

obsolete : in a forceful manner

2

: for the most part : chiefly

Synonyms

• mostly
• primarily
• chiefly
• largely
• predominantly
• principally
• basically
• generally

Examples of mainly in a Sentence

you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing

Recent Examples on the Web

Plainly on the hunt for younger diners, Felss Masino succeeded mainly in alienating older ones. —Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

As Korean-Americans shifted in the 1980s and 1990s from living mainly on the city’s North Side to suburbs like Schaumburg and Northbrook, Bae had a desire to serve the area’s Korean community by keeping them informed and connected. —Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

The capital will be used mainly for the follow-up development and mass production of the Gravity-2 medium-lift liquid launch vehicle. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025

Code Avengers walks you through different mastery levels but mainly focuses on teaching beginners. —Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mainly

• plainly
• sanely
• vainly
• humanely
• insanely
• profanely
• ungainly