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 large overhead screens were used mainly to highlight Young and, to a much smaller extent, Johnson — rarely even showing the other three musicians (who were huddled way in the back of the stage). — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 The original measure stated that the funds are to be used to support trauma centers, emergency medical services and bioterrorism response, but in practice, the money has mainly gone to hospitals with trauma centers. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Travelers are trading sand for high trails and the sea for forest, choosing the summer offerings of countries once mainly reserved for winter. — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 The cost of the services was an issue, officials said, but the decisions were motivated mainly by resident’s concerns. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

As a result, each filament is mostly limited to one type of movement.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Onboard are mostly adult couples looking for an upscale, yet relaxed experience.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Is this style choice primarily a form of self-expression, or is my teen trying to cope with deeper emotional distress?

— Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Unlike conventional battery plants focused primarily on cells, the Heze project brings together battery-cell manufacturing, materials production and energy-storage system integration.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Rochlin, who used to work in mosquito control, pointed out that his predecessors in New York were chiefly concerned with malaria.

— Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
Building a network is capital intensive, requiring continuous, steady investment in both towers and spectrum —- drawing capital away from businesses that investors more richly reward, chiefly AI.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

While the good-paying white-collar jobs in the ‘burbs are getting slashed, the substantial workforce Capital One inherited from Discover in the city of Chicago largely has been spared.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
In League Two, tweaks to SCMP were largely thrown out because they were seen as worthless.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Roughly two-thirds of those workers are migrants, predominantly young women recruited from South Asia on three-year contracts.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Medicaid Fraud Control Units were principally responsible for investigating providers, while also prosecuting the abuse and neglect of patients whose care was billed to Medicaid.

— Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Back in those early days there was talk of Newcastle winning the Premier League in the next five to 10 years, principally from the mouth of Amanda Staveley, a 10 per cent minority partner of PIF who sold her stake and left Tyneside in July 2024.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Small explosions happen within the park every few years and generally present localized dangers.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
And yet while some clubs of a similar size were happy to keep selling players to re-invest, Tottenham generally only did so with first-team players in very specific circumstances.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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