chiefly

[ cheef-lee ]

adverb

1. primarily; essentially:

   He phoned chiefly to let us know he was feeling better.

2. mainly; mostly:

   This dish consists chiefly of noodles.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like a chief:

   his chiefly responsibilities.

chiefly

/ ˈtʃiːflɪ /

adverb

1. especially or essentially; above all
2. in general; mainly; mostly

adjective

1. of or relating to a chief or chieftain

Word History and Origins

Origin of chiefly¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; chief, -ly

Synonym Study

See especially.

Example Sentences

Clarke's side will need two wins in the next five days and results elsewhere to go their way - chiefly Norway losing either in Slovenia or at home to Kazakhstan.

From BBC

Most of those claiming their written content has been infringed assert chiefly that the databases known to have been fed to some AI models are known to include their books or other writing.

From Los Angeles Times

Of the top 25 individual donors in the current election cycle, 18 have given exclusively or chiefly to Republicans, according to a compilation by Open Secrets of campaign disclosures.

From Los Angeles Times

The 1986 amendment was chiefly aimed at deterring defense-related fraud — through 2000, King says, more than 85% of whistleblower cases involved military procurement.

From Los Angeles Times

The auroras are most commonly seen over high polar latitudes, and are chiefly influenced by geomagnetic storms which originate from activity on the Sun.

From BBC

Related Words

• especially
• essentially
• largely
• mostly
• predominantly
• principally