mainstay

noun

main·​stay ˈmān-ˌstā 

plural mainstays

1

a

: a crucial or key part of something

Fish is the mainstay of their diet.

Tourism is a mainstay of the city's economy.

The mainstay of treatment for chronic hives of unknown origin is antihistamine medications.

—Mayo Clinic Health Letter

b

: someone or something that is a principal or reliable support or resource

Tourism is one of the city's economic mainstays.

Her immense pride in him and unquestioning support were among the few mainstays in his life.

—Robert V. Remini

2

: a ship's stay (see stay entry 1 sense 1) extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast

Synonyms

• anchor
• buttress
• dependence
• dependance
• pillar
• reliance
• standby

Examples of mainstay in a Sentence

Fish is a mainstay of their diet.

My mother has always been the mainstay of our family.

Recent Examples on the Web

The console port will be jumping into a very crowded space for online shooters, going up against not only mainstays like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Overwatch 2 but also upcoming titles like Marvel Rivals and Sony’s Concord. —Andrew Webster, The Verge, 7 June 2024

Bluegrass mainstay Buller highlights the importance of mental health care on her latest, while Aaron Vance blends radio-ready sonics with a romantic vibe. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 20 May 2024

ByteDance owns both TikTok and Douyin, and although TikTok has more users around the world, Douyin is the company’s cash cow and a China mainstay. —Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 May 2024

The former Orange Lutheran star figures to be a mainstay of UCLA’s future success. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

mainstay

noun

main·​stay -ˌstā 

1

: a large strong rope running from the maintop of a ship usually to the foot of the foremast

2

: a chief support

the mainstay of the family