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

In the neighborhood, which is actually the oldest part of Prague, there are mostly residential buildings, embassies, and local offices.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Many skeptics see a contradiction in high-achieving, mostly white young voters employing rhetoric about labor and solidarity.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 4 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

The Frenchman scored more league goals than any other Liverpool player last season, but that was largely with Isak on the sidelines.

— Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Friday’s report will likely underscore that the job market remains stable but in a low-flow state, with non-healthcare hiring a little sluggish and the unemployment rate largely unchanged.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Lake was also the only Black woman in a field of exclusively male, predominantly white candidates for the county’s top seat.

— Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Their active roster is predominantly right-handed, which clogs up some of the lineup decisions for Roberts.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 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

Measles is highly contagious, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly effective, and protection generally lasts for life.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
The 26-year-old suspect was identified only as a foreign national who has been granted legal asylum, in line with Greece’s strict data protection laws, which generally prohibit authorities from naming criminal suspects without their consent.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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