mainstream
noun
\
Definition of mainstream
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream
verb
\
Definition of mainstream (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to place (a student, such as a disabled child) in regular school classes
2 : to incorporate in the mainstream
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of mainstream in a Sentence
Verb
The poor should be mainstreamed into the private health-insurance system. Ideas that were once controversial have now become mainstreamed.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Putin ethos gives Russia political drawing power that overcomes language barriers, national borders and criticism in the mainstream news media in the West. — Washington Post, "How the Kremlin turned the Russian president into a global icon," 12 July 2018 The tales of what happens during gay conversion therapy have been spreading throughout mainstream media for the past few decades. — Stephen Daw, Billboard, "Chloe Grace Moretz Rebels Through Conversion Therapy in 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' Trailer," 10 July 2018 The brother of Rob Ford, Toronto’s late mayor, who was most famous for being caught on video smoking crack, the premier-designate rails against Canada’s elites and dislikes the mainstream media. — The Economist, "Doug Ford disrupts Canada’s climate policy," 28 June 2018 Though the New York story has received perfunctory coverage in the mainstream media, the Asian-American press and social media are on fire. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "The Democrats’ Racial Fault Line," 25 June 2018 That fiction props up much coverage of architecture in the mainstream media—buildings aren’t stars, but their makers can be. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "The end of the architect profile," 19 Apr. 2018 He's been satirized on Saturday Night Live and his on-air comments, particularly about race and sports, frequently lead to stories in the mainstream media. — Langston Wertz Jr., charlotteobserver, "Who is the best sports talker on TV? Hint: He's got a southern drawl | Charlotte Observer," 2 Apr. 2018 This is not the mainstream of the Democratic Party. — Fox News, "Democrats' new rallying cry: 'Abolish ICE'," 30 June 2018 And yet, few economic policies have been subjected to such obsessive criticism, in particular by mainstream (which is to say, conservative) economists, as the minimum wage. — James K. Galbraith, Fortune, "The Minimum Wage Just Turned 80. Economists Don’t Give It Enough Credit," 25 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Later that fall, the therapist noted that Cruz was going to be mainstreamed full-time beginning in January. — Tribune News Service, OregonLive.com, "Cruz revealed gory fantasies to his therapists years before the Parkland massacre," 10 Mar. 2018 With the legality no longer posing any sort of ethical barrier, there's no longer a need to wink, and sports gambling probably will be mainstreamed in a way that will be apparent to both gamblers and fans who've never placed a bet in their lives. — Rick Maese, chicagotribune.com, "A safe bet: Legal gambling could change the way we watch, talk and experience sports," 5 July 2018 Military men and women were coming home with new tattoos after time spent at war or at sea, mainstreaming tattoos like never before. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Throwing your skin into the wind: Houston tattoo shop plays with fate and a tattoo dartboard," 3 July 2018 The Clintons, both Chelsea and her mother Hillary, have a very odd habit of insulting a broad swath of America by saying President Trump has mainstreamed hate. — Fox News, "Purple Heart recipient helps veterans battle opioid abuse," 29 May 2018 Later that fall, the therapist noted that Cruz was going to be mainstreamed full-time beginning in January. — Tribune News Service, OregonLive.com, "Cruz revealed gory fantasies to his therapists years before the Parkland massacre," 10 Mar. 2018 Since 1975, when the federal government enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act – renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 — youngsters with serious health problems have been mainstreamed into public schools. — Peg Quann, Philly.com, "As insurance costs soar, more parents rely on school nurses for children's health care," 18 Apr. 2018 Get our daily newsletter A broad range of tools is available to help mainstream companies build anything from search and recommendation engines to speech-recognition and translation systems, customer-service bots and more. — The Economist, "AI providers will increasingly compete with management consultancies," 28 Mar. 2018 Later that fall, the therapist noted that Cruz was going to be mainstreamed full-time beginning in January. — Tribune News Service, OregonLive.com, "Cruz revealed gory fantasies to his therapists years before the Parkland massacre," 10 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mainstream.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for mainstream
mainstream
verb
English Language Learners Definition of mainstream
: to place (a child with special educational needs) in regular school classes
: to cause (someone or something) to be included in or accepted by the group that includes most people
See the full definition for mainstream in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mainstream
adjective
\
Medical Definition of mainstream
: relating to or being tobacco smoke that is drawn (as from a cigarette) directly into the mouth of the smoker and is usually inhaled into the lungs — compare sidestream
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on mainstream
What made you want to look up mainstream? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
Which Came First? Quiz
Do you know which word is older?
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share mainstream
Resources for mainstream