mainstream

1 of 3

noun

main·​stream ˈmān-ˌstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream adjective

mainstream

2 of 3

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

mainstream

3 of 3

verb

main·​stream ˈmān-ˈstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams

transitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
While that gaze is no longer popular in mainstream literature, many readers have found Tacos’ writing to be refreshingly honest — to others, needlessly offensive. John McDermott, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2025 After years of being on the fringe of mainstream women’s media,conservatism is having a cultural moment. Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
Adjective
Americans say the annual competition is about many things: Coney Island, the Fourth of July, patriotism — but the event that kicked off the rise of mainstream competitive eating in the United States is, at its core, about publicity, the man who runs the contest said. Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025 The brand’s limited-edition soap using Ms. Sweeney’s bathwater reflects a purpose that rejects mainstream personal care products for a more authentic approach to masculinity. Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
Will mainstream productions like the Phantom of the Opera or Hamilton incorporate such talent in their productions, with higher levels of assistive performance enhancements? Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Elkhart’s financial culture was the polar opposite of the crypto ethos that began to go mainstream around the time this new iteration of Heartland was founded. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mainstream

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1955, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1974, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainstream was in 1599

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mainstream

noun
main·​stream
-ˌstrēm
: the principal current or direction of activity or influence

Medical Definition

mainstream

adjective
main·​stream ˌmān-ˌstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
: 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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