mostly

adverb

most·​ly ˈmōst-lē 

: for the greatest part : mainly

a mostly accurate story

Synonyms of mostly

• mainly
• primarily
• chiefly
• largely
• predominantly
• principally
• basically
• generally

Examples of mostly in a Sentence

the weather this month has been mostly mild

Recent Examples on the Web

The country was able to keep its oil business mostly afloat by bypassing the strait with pipelines that shipped oil to a port in Yanbu on the other side of the nation. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Social Security benefits — paid mostly to recipients who are older or retired — are typically scheduled to go out on Wednesdays. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Her boundless energy and warmth bring color to their lives and challenges the male duo to step out of their comfort zone, which is mostly in their heads. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026

Payton talks all the time about not putting quarterbacks on the high dive, but Nix has spent his first two seasons in the league working mostly from the 10-meter platform. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mostly

• ghostly

Kids Definition

mostly

adverb

most·​ly ˈmōst-lē 

: for the greatest part : mainly