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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 mainly In her Sintra speech Tuesday, Breeden said that, for now, trading firms mainly use autonomous AI for lower-risk operational tasks, such as research. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 3 July 2026 In addition to the dangerous heat, there is a chance for a few pop-up storms, mainly Friday and Saturday evenings. — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 2 July 2026 It is considered one of the sweetest varieties of cucumbers, mainly because the seeds are not bitter. — Aly Walansky, Southern Living, 2 July 2026 That’s mainly because Accurso and Sharp built a gluten-free following at Roots, which has been operating at 940 NW Pryor Road in Lee’s Summit for four years. — Jenna Thompson july 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

Politics have mostly been irrelevant (well, until yesterday’s red-card controversy), and many Americans have briefly set aside their red-versus-blue differences to rally together in the nation’s swirly red, white, and blue soccer kits.

— Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Hargitay reps a unique choice by NBC and the Television Academy for hosting the Emmys, which in recent years has stuck mostly with standups, late night hosts or comedic actors.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Their tropical cocktails and frozen delights are easily crushable, primarily made with vodka, mezcal, rum and tequila.

— Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Although Chicago had its issues with redlining and massive disinvestment that left generational scars on some primarily Black neighborhoods, the small town ethos held little sway over me.

— Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Giselle Garcia, program director for NorCal Resist, said the arrest data largely tracks with the organization’s own informal counts though emphasized much enforcement goes unaccounted for if families aren’t willing to speak up.

— Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
During the war, as the death toll ticked upward in the enclave, search operations for bodies largely stopped, either because most heavy equipment was destroyed, fuel became scarce or many strike sites became inaccessible due to the fighting.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

The 678 cases have predominantly been confirmed the southeast region of Michigan including Wayne County, where Detroit is located.

— Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 July 2026
The neighborhood attracted a predominantly working-class community of Black families who lived in modest single-family houses.

— Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 6 July 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Oppenheimer’s note was principally focused, fitting for a global strategist, on how equity returns will be reshaped in a new regime.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
The laser targeted one of three ground stations, principally NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Facility in California, with a third, experimental ground station at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 June 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Gabriella paid off most of his entourage to leave him and the band alone and is now basically his own private Joe Jackson, pressuring him to record nonstop.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 6 July 2026
First, Season 4 basically just dropped a lot of characters from the central story.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of basically

Browse Nearby Words

mainlands

mainly

main man

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainly. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mainly

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on mainly

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulcrum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes