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
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
Robert V. Remini2
: a ship's stay (see stay entry 1 sense 1) extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast
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
The Rachofskys, for their part, are mainstays on the annual ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list, appearing on it each edition since 2002.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
Mingling with all the new developments each summer, there are plenty of mainstay institutions and events that are gloriously familiar to frequent visitors.
—Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
And for the first time, top Wall Street banks weren’t just attracting WASP or old-line German Jewish men with family ties to banking, the historic mainstays of the finance world.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
As someone who started wearing makeup in high school to hide my dark under-eye circles and unyielding teenage acne, color correctors and concealers have long been mainstays in my makeup bag.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
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Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
Mingling with all the new developments each summer, there are plenty of mainstay institutions and events that are gloriously familiar to frequent visitors.
—Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
And for the first time, top Wall Street banks weren’t just attracting WASP or old-line German Jewish men with family ties to banking, the historic mainstays of the finance world.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
As someone who started wearing makeup in high school to hide my dark under-eye circles and unyielding teenage acne, color correctors and concealers have long been mainstays in my makeup bag.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
Cite this Entry
“Mainstay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstay. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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