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

Star midfielder Paul Pogba was dramatically replaced by a 21-year-old Scott McTominay for the first leg in Spain, which finished 0-0 mostly thanks to a string of saves by man of the match David de Gea. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The Niners left California last Wednesday, arrived in Australia on Friday and were set for their first practice of game week on Monday at AAMI Park in Melbourne feeling mostly refreshed after players got a day to explore the city. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Kids of mixed ages organized their own games and made up their own rules, while adults stayed mostly on the sidelines or stayed away entirely. — Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

According to internal company analytics, Evie, a mostly digital publication, received two hundred million impressions across its social-media channels in a month earlier this year. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 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