MOSTLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

mostly

adverb

ˈmōst-lē

Definition of mostly

as in mainly

for the most part the weather this month has been mostly mild

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mostly But then came a bit of technology, previously mostly used for military purposes, called the overhead projector. — David Pierce, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026 Republicans and Democrats alike say the purchase will help Russia execute its war against Ukraine — without making a difference to global fuel prices, which are elevated mostly due to Trump’s war on Iran. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 In his first five NBA seasons, Grimes has mostly been a reserve, starting 146 of 318 games. — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Dune London’s Toova leather knee-high boots are mostly flat with a slight block heel. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mostly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mostly

Adverb

What to do nearby The Algarve is mainly populated with beach resorts—and most are much larger than this one.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Reps for Busfield, who has been out on bond and mainly on the East Coast since the beginning of the year, and his main lawyer Larry Stein did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the news.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

The system is primarily intended to counter small unmanned aircraft.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Their list consists primarily of interventions such as more per-pupil funding, banning cellphones and restricting artificial intelligence in the classroom.

— Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The animation of the original series was overseen by three South Korean studios, chiefly JM Animation in the early seasons and MOI Animation in the latter ones.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

Advertisement France has never seen so many violent incidents in a movement made up largely of high school students.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Violent crime concentrates in poor neighborhoods, and largely because of our history, Black Americans are far more likely than white Americans to live in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Some predominantly Muslim neighborhoods on the city's peripheries, with narrow and steep mazelike streets, have high crime rates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
After seven years of promoting local businesses in San Francisco’s predominantly Latino Mission District, the nonprofit has a brick-and-mortar space that reflects its passion for the neighborhood.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

That shift carries potential implications for concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, which has relied principally on federal support, particularly from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The whole city ends up bearing the brunt of astronomical housing prices that, whatever their other causes, are principally downstream from a housing market that quite simply cannot keep up with demand.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

The new tech, which the company refers to as a magnetic coupling dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) road system, basically builds a wireless charging system into the roads themselves.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
The prosecutor argued the beatings basically never stopped, claiming footage showed nannies beating one child, then turning their violence toward any of the other toddlers who wept while watching.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of basically

Adverb

The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Photos were generally limited to 2,048 pixels on the long edge, while videos could be delivered at resolutions up to 720p.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of generally

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“Mostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mostly. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of mostly

adverb

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