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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Example Sentences

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 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 Larson has clashed chiefly with Bronin — rather than his other two opponents — during the campaign. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 Some industrials are going higher, chiefly non-data-center ones. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for chiefly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiefly

Adverb

Up until then, Silbiger had mainly documented the inner workings of Capitol Hill and the White House as a freelance photojournalist in Washington, DC.

— Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Earlier research works explored this phenomenon mainly in isolated laboratory systems or as a way to deliberately control quantum states.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

Hughes’ fall on this list mostly stems from major growth from others above him and the lack of term left on his deal.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
That case focused mostly on the details of the knife attack itself; the federal one delves more into questions of motive.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Its main weapons bay is associated primarily with long-range air-to-air missiles, while smaller side bays carry short-range missiles.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026
How Renewable Energy Can Better Protect Ecosystems Traditional sustainability metrics have long focused primarily on emissions.

— Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

As camera adoption has become more widespread in recent years, those concerns have largely faded away, according to Common Council President Sabrina Madison.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
What today's affordable new homes offer—and the tradeoffs Where buyers are most likely to find a deal on new construction depends largely on the local market.

— Mike Winters, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

The cast is principally composed of UC Irvine students, past and present, with a few guest artists in the mix.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Although some of these new institutions may adopt the name college, they won't be architected around classrooms and their business model won't be principally tuition-based.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Once known predominantly for projecting educational installations at museums and aquariums, IMAX spent decades trying to break into the mainstream, though its limited network of theatres and analog-only format proved prohibitive for major studios.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
So have members of the predominantly Black church where her body was discovered May 8.

— Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 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 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of chiefly

adverb

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