main·stream
ˈmān-ˌstrēm 
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
: having, reflecting, or being compatible with the prevailing attitudes and values of a society or group
mainstream media
movies that appeal to a mainstream audience
mainstream success
main·stream
ˈmān-ˈstrēm
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams
1
: to place (a student, such as a disabled child) in regular school classes
2
: to incorporate in the mainstream
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
Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
The claim, with no evidence, then circulated to more mainstream forums.
—Julia Ingram, CBS News, 15 July 2024
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 July 2024
Four years after health workers were forced to reuse masks and other supplies to get through the dark days of the pandemic, the idea of recycling personal protective equipment is going mainstream.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 17 July 2024
Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
For 30 years now, guitarist Mark Morton has been best known as the riff architect and lead guitarist for Lamb of God, the groove metal band that rose to mainstream prominence with the New Wave of American Heavy Metal in the mid Aughts.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainstream 
Noun
For anyone who might run afoul of mainstream opinion, C.P.I. had created an alternative, fully self-sufficient ecosystem.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
The claim, with no evidence, then circulated to more mainstream forums.
—Julia Ingram, CBS News, 15 July 2024
Adjective
With the film expected to be completed in mid 2024, Besson is promising a more mainstream picture than DogMan, which won critical praise but did not ignite the box office.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 July 2024
Four years after health workers were forced to reuse masks and other supplies to get through the dark days of the pandemic, the idea of recycling personal protective equipment is going mainstream.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 17 July 2024
Verb
Watch on Netflix The Boys in the Band Set in New York City in 1968, The Boys in the Band is a snapshot of gay life a year before Stonewall brought LGBTQ+ rights to mainstream attention.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
For 30 years now, guitarist Mark Morton has been best known as the riff architect and lead guitarist for Lamb of God, the groove metal band that rose to mainstream prominence with the New Wave of American Heavy Metal in the mid Aughts.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainstream
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mainstream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
ˌmān-ˌstrēm
: 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
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