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
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
The moves are the latest in a series of steps Kennedy has taken on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that run counter to mainstream medical and scientific organizations like the pediatrics academy, the Infectious Disease Society of American and the American College of Physicians.
—NPR, 20 Nov. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2025
The practice is rather common in today’s world, but this comic book was a first step in helping that singular super-hero focus become more mainstream.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2025
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2025
He’s gone from being a pariah to mainstream.
—Eli Thompson, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
How did Greene go from mainstream MAGA to just MTG?
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
The moves are the latest in a series of steps Kennedy has taken on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that run counter to mainstream medical and scientific organizations like the pediatrics academy, the Infectious Disease Society of American and the American College of Physicians.
—NPR, 20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The political reaction embodied by Mamdani’s focus on affordability is a clear sign that the economic consequences of corporate greed are now driving mainstream political change.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2025
The practice is rather common in today’s world, but this comic book was a first step in helping that singular super-hero focus become more mainstream.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2025
Verb
This contrast shows that blistering performance is no longer limited to ultra-exclusive hypercars – high-end acceleration has now reached vehicles across multiple market segments, from luxury to mainstream EV sedans.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2025
He’s gone from being a pariah to mainstream.
—Eli Thompson, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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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