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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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 But the cops were still jammed up by 2006, mainly because the medical examiner didn’t definitively rule her death a homicide. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 Videos and images from Ceuta showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco onto local roads. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 31 July 2026 The Newsoms reported earning about $341,000 to $417,000 in state wages between 2021 and 2024, mainly from Newsom’s gubernatorial salary. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 As a result, the restrictions mainly affect new models that have not received authorization. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

Hughes’ fall on this list mostly stems from major growth from others above him and the lack of term left on his deal.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
That case focused mostly on the details of the knife attack itself; the federal one delves more into questions of motive.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Its main weapons bay is associated primarily with long-range air-to-air missiles, while smaller side bays carry short-range missiles.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026
How Renewable Energy Can Better Protect Ecosystems Traditional sustainability metrics have long focused primarily on emissions.

— Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

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
But Elliot’s best argument is ultimately himself—chiefly, his own vigorous libido, which his workaholic medical-student girlfriend, Minerva (a deader-than-deadpan Charli XCX), has long since lost interest in satiating.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

While the lawn remained mostly empty, the reserved seating area was largely full.

— Jamie Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
That lawsuit names coho salmon, spotted owls, as well as a threatened seabird, the marbled murrelet, which lives largely out at sea but returns to old-growth coastal trees to nest, as species threatened by the change.

— Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

The cast is principally composed of UC Irvine students, past and present, with a few guest artists in the mix.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Although some of these new institutions may adopt the name college, they won't be architected around classrooms and their business model won't be principally tuition-based.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

Tournament football isn’t generally conducive to pressing, with so many matches squeezed into such a short window, and without the cohesion that comes from club sides training together for months.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Checks are generally distributed on Wednesdays, based on the day of the month you were born.

— Brian Sloan, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Definition of generally

Browse Nearby Words

mainlands

mainly

main man

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

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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