main 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of mainnext
as in primary
coming before all others in importance this is the main point of the study—everything else is secondary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

main

2 of 2

noun

ˈmān How to pronounce main (audio)
1
as in power
muscular strength all their might and main could not budge the stalled car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division islanders periodically traveled back to the main for supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in core
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the main of the tree is still healthy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 main
Adjective
McCarthy said the whole main entrance is original except for the new wood floors. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2026 Sea ice platforms help polar bears catch seals, which are their main source of prey. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2026
Noun
Wednesday, reporting a high-pressure gas main struck on Prospect Avenue between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 At one point, Coover pulled the cover off a super-chilled metallic cylinder labeled big baby main. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
  1. primary
  2. power
  3. continent
  4. core
  5. predominant
  6. muscle
  7. mainland
  8. body
Adjective
  • Party organizations were strong, our legislative allies were aligned, and labor held significant influence within the primary process.
    — Denis Hughes, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Much of his campaign was run against the Democratic establishment, with his primary opponent backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of primary
Noun
  • The brokerage said South Korea could emerge as a key market for additional capacity in Asia, with operators that secure power, land and long-term customer contracts better positioned to expand.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • These arrangements form part of Google’s broader effort to secure power for its expanding data center infrastructure while reducing the carbon emissions associated with natural gas generation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of power
Noun
  • Dmitriev followed up by posting a meme about the new global world order — an American eagle and a Russian bear together snarling at a British lion over the fate of a fracturing European continent.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
  • More than 25 unions across six continents backed the organizing movement, per Reuters.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of continent
Noun
  • The backstory The first Mandarin Oriental hotel—then called The Mandarin—opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1963 and has remained central to the hotel group’s core values, despite global expansion.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Acer laptop earned top marks in both the Cinebench and Geekbench single-core CPU tests, and came in a respectable second place for the Cinebench multi-core and HandBrake video conversion tests.
    — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of core
Adjective
  • In these regions, the predominant ailments are HIV/AIDS, premature birth and birth trauma, congenital anomalies and injuries.
    — Emilee Flynn, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Another complicating factor is that H1N1 has been the dominant strain this year, compared to the previous few years when the H3N2 strain was the predominant one.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of predominant
Noun
  • Hosts Atletico Madrid, too, suffered a huge blow recently, with central defender Cristian Romero ruled out due to a muscle strain.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Chemically destroying the channel in adult mouse osteocytes accelerated signs of aging far beyond the skeleton, affecting the brain, liver, and muscles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of muscle
Noun
  • According to local media reports, Pane’s annual gross merchandise volume on Tmall exceeded 100 million renminbi in 2025, and the brand expects to have 10 stores across six cities in mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of mainland
Noun
  • The compact pouch is designed to hold small essentials against your body, and its soft, breathable, skin-friendly fabric is a thoughtful detail for warmer destinations where extra layers aren’t practical.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members -- two women and a man -- inside of his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 100 miles northeast of Krakow.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of body

Phrases Containing main

Browse Nearby Words

maims
main
mainland
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All