CHIEFLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

chiefly

adverb

ˈchē-flē

Definition of chiefly

as in mainly

for the most part our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies

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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.

Recent Examples of chiefly The problem is Will Ferrell as Lonnie Hawkins, an utter miscalculation of characterization and performance chiefly responsible for turning what could be middling comedy into an unbearable slog. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026 The complaint says Salle’s 2025 painting shares the works’ pose, perspective, clothing, and overall visual impression, differing chiefly in that its subject holds an axe instead of a sledgehammer. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 8 July 2026 The Castro family has been linked, through GAESA chiefly, to a lucrative world of hotels, banks, retail monopolies, foreign-currency businesses, foreign private compounds and offshore accounts. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Advertisement Sea Rangers restore seagrass chiefly in the Dutch Eastern Scheldt and French Étang de Berre. — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for chiefly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiefly

Adverb

The show, the first ever to be mainly in Spanish, would end up courting significant conservative backlash, to the point that Kid Rock and Turning Point USA elected to put on their own alternative halftime show.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Previously they were used mainly for breaching, blasting doors open, but demand has surged.

— David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

Is this style choice primarily a form of self-expression, or is my teen trying to cope with deeper emotional distress?

— Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Unlike conventional battery plants focused primarily on cells, the Heze project brings together battery-cell manufacturing, materials production and energy-storage system integration.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

The Frenchman scored more league goals than any other Liverpool player last season, but that was largely with Isak on the sidelines.

— Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Friday’s report will likely underscore that the job market remains stable but in a low-flow state, with non-healthcare hiring a little sluggish and the unemployment rate largely unchanged.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Medicaid Fraud Control Units were principally responsible for investigating providers, while also prosecuting the abuse and neglect of patients whose care was billed to Medicaid.

— Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Back in those early days there was talk of Newcastle winning the Premier League in the next five to 10 years, principally from the mouth of Amanda Staveley, a 10 per cent minority partner of PIF who sold her stake and left Tyneside in July 2024.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Lake was also the only Black woman in a field of exclusively male, predominantly white candidates for the county’s top seat.

— Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Their active roster is predominantly right-handed, which clogs up some of the lineup decisions for Roberts.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of predominantly

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chief justices

chiefly

chiefs

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“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chiefly. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of chiefly

adverb

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