mostly

adverb

most·​ly ˈmōst-lē How to pronounce mostly (audio)
: for the greatest part : mainly

Example Sentences

the weather this month has been mostly mild
Recent Examples on the Web Erica Sweeney Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 23 Mar. 2023 The Associated Press reports that 234 people were arrested in Paris this week, mostly for setting garbage on fire in the streets. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2023 Some 210,000 customers were without electricity throughout the state, mostly in the region south of San Francisco, according to PowerOutage.us. Martha Mendoza, ajc, 22 Mar. 2023 Battery mowers lose ground to their gas counterparts mostly in terms of actions that cause excess draw on the battery, such as mowing through heavy, thick grass, or when self-propelling up steep inclines. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 22 Mar. 2023 Although Lindsey's routines are sacred to her, she's mostly focused on anything that keeps her feeling good and staying on her path. Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 22 Mar. 2023 Paris police said Tuesday that 234 people were arrested overnight in the capital mostly for setting fire to garbage in the streets. Sarah Elbeshbishi, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2023 Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Some 210,000 customers were without electricity throughout the state, mostly in the region south of San Francisco, according to PowerOutage.us. CBS News, 21 Mar. 2023 The company currently employs about 100 people, mostly in the Boston area, chief executive Hamid Tabatabaie said. Aaron Pressman, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mostly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mostly was in 1563

Dictionary Entries Near mostly

Cite this Entry

“Mostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mostly. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

mostly

adverb
most·​ly ˈmōst-lē How to pronounce mostly (audio)
: for the greatest part : mainly

More from Merriam-Webster on mostly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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