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

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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 mostly Earlier this week, as the mostly Gen-Z protesters tried the bring their demands to the parliament building at the heart of the world’s biggest democracy, they were met with tear gas and police violence, struck with sticks and batons. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 But the bump in revenue mostly came from hosts raising their rates. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 The new body with its Telluride-like design cues has been stretched, mostly in the wheelbase. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026 Second, fiber will continue to surge for mostly those same reasons. — Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mostly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mostly

Adverb

Up until then, Silbiger had mainly documented the inner workings of Capitol Hill and the White House as a freelance photojournalist in Washington, DC.

— Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Earlier research works explored this phenomenon mainly in isolated laboratory systems or as a way to deliberately control quantum states.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Definition of mainly

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

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
But this is surely the least fabled World Cup in history, and remembered chiefly for the political tensions shortly before the following year’s outbreak of the Second World War.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

As camera adoption has become more widespread in recent years, those concerns have largely faded away, according to Common Council President Sabrina Madison.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
What today's affordable new homes offer—and the tradeoffs Where buyers are most likely to find a deal on new construction depends largely on the local market.

— Mike Winters, CNBC, 23 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

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most

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“Mostly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mostly. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of mostly

adverb

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