Synonyms

mainly

American

[meyn-lee] / ˈmeɪn li /

adverb

chiefly; principally; for the most part; in the main; to the greatest extent.

Our success was due mainly to your efforts. The audience consisted mainly of students.
Obsolete. greatly; mightily; abundantly.

mainly British

/ ˈmeɪnlɪ /

adverb

for the most part; to the greatest extent; principally
obsolete strongly; very much

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mainly

First recorded in 1225–75, mainly is from the Middle English word maynliche, maynly. See main ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Medications such as modafinil are sometimes used to promote wakefulness, but these drugs have mainly been studied in overnight workers and can interfere with sleep later in the day.

From Science Daily

Previously, scientists believed actin mainly reached this region by random diffusion.

From Science Daily

But their influence was mainly limited to Congress, the Legislature and local politics.

From Los Angeles Times

All Pulling Together, based in Stonehouse, is a community interest company mainly run by volunteers.

From BBC

And although Lloyds operates mines in India and elsewhere, and has been leasing out mining equipment in Congo since 2018, the company’s experience lies mainly in iron ore, bauxite and coal in Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023