MAINLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

mainly

adverb

ˈmān-lē

Definition of mainly

as in mostly

for the most part you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing

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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 mainly The Florida Lottery big money draw game luck fell mainly on South Florida Wednesday and Thursday , with three of the four jackpot winners playing in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Miramar. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Seniors Jaylen Smith and Sebastian Hartmann lead an entirely new roster, with nine freshman (mainly local products), five transfers and international flair all over. — Pj Green october 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 Kern rehired La Perla’s 220 seamstresses with the goal to keep manufacturing the brand in Italy, mainly in the Bologna headquarters. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 So a lot of it was mainly just me and Steven interacting with each other. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

From SportsCenter star to CEO Eisen, 57, worked for ESPN from 1996 to 2003, mostly anchoring SportsCenter during the show’s cultural peak.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Throughout the 1980s, ‘90s and into the early 2000s, top schools played their exhibitions against elite amateur teams made up mostly of former college athletes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Conventionally, such vessels are primarily designed to support amphibious operations, transport military personnel, deploy helicopters and facilitate landing operations.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Silver Cloud primarily sails the Arctic and Antarctica, with more exploratory itineraries in-between, like in the Middle East or Africa.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Billionaires have poured hundreds of millions into super political action committees (super PACs) for campaign ads—chiefly supporting Republican candidates in tight Senate races.

— Connor Greene, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

The founders argue that existing air freight networks leave thousands of smaller airports largely unused for commercial cargo transportation.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
There’s likely to be more drama for Democratic positions lower on the ladder, largely for challenges to sitting committee leaders.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Brazil’s predominantly left-leaning film industry and its international counterpart have not stood on the sidelines.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
During his stint as president from 2006 to 2010, the company sold predominantly $200 and $300 jeans to affluent department-store shoppers with household incomes around $250,000.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Republicans have a few targets on the board still, principally in Michigan, but also New Hampshire and Minnesota.

— Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Both the founders had worked at other New York galleries, Klein principally with Bertrand Delacroix and Massey at Mulherin and Pollard.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

These are basically less privileged neighborhoods where the government is meant to show a greater focus on education by employing more teachers and so on.

— Elektra Kotsoni, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Brody and Chang have seen them all (basically), and have some guiding thoughts to share, below.

— Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of basically

Adverb

Consumers have generally soured on an economy weighed down by more expensive gas, groceries, and clothing, among other items.

— Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Storing heat between peaks Unlike solar and wind installations, conventional nuclear power plants are generally designed to produce electricity continuously.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of generally

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mainlands

mainly

main man

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“Mainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainly. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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