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 Bernstein downgrades Palo Alto Networks, Okta and SentinelOne to market perform from outperform Bernstein downgraded several cyber security stocks mainly on valuation. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Metcalfe writes mainly about science, space, archaeology, Earth and the oceans. — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026 In 2025, American companies exported about US$54 billion in goods to Brazil, mainly refined fuel, aircraft parts, industrial machinery, fertilizer and electronics. — Filipe Mendonça, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026 An isolated shower can't be ruled out Friday and Saturday but both days appear mainly dry. — Rachael Jay, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

The rest of the women have pretty much accepted Vicki’s temperament by now and mostly operate around her, enjoying the refreshing Miami energy after the bumpiness of the previous parties.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
The film’s cast is mostly made up of tribal non-actors, but Anghlong Konyak is its captivating center, as a man whose stubbornness against change sits alongside a lingering grief over his fading way of life.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

The culprits are Aedes aegypti, primarily daytime biters that thrive in urban and suburban areas and breed in flowerpots, buckets and other smaller containers, said Steve Harrison, manager of Orange County Mosquito Control.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Zeek Biggers has worked as a six-technique defensive end, primarily playing on obvious running downs.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Dostoyevsky’s sniveling devil comes closest to portraying the man chiefly responsible for organizing the Final Solution.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Many of these business owners are driven chiefly by a desire to be their own bosses rather than to become rich, Zwick said.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

She’s haunted by her divorce from Donn, and her greatest fear is being alone, which is becoming more and more of a real possibility, especially since her family has largely moved away.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Kai-Fu Lee’s AI Superpowers, an influential book published in 2018, largely predicted the current tech battle between the US and China.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

In 2020, researchers described nearly 1,000 independent horizontal transfer events in 307 vertebrate genomes, predominantly in fish.

— Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Cousins then directed a three-play, 43-second drive that ended with White’s second TD catch and a 24-14 lead in front of a raucous, predominantly Raiders-supporting crowd at SoFi Stadium.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Federal regulators already treat it differently from many other digital assets, and the legislation was principally intended to create a broader framework governing how cryptocurrencies are issued, sold and regulated.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Asking an 18- or 21-year-old athlete to sacrifice some portion of a present opportunity for an uncertain benefit that may principally accrue to someone else five or 10 years in the future is an inherently difficult organizing proposition.

— Chris Corr, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Guest speakers are generally informed and enthusiastic, offering lectures relating to the culture and history of the sailing region.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
This is on top of Perez Hilton and plenty of other sites (Gawker included) that would just flat-out insult people, draw nasty things on their pictures, and just generally malign them.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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