mainly

[meyn-lee] / ˈmeɪn li /

ADVERB

for the most part

Synonyms

STRONG

chiefly primarily principally

WEAK

above all essentially first and foremost generally in general in the main largely most of all mostly on the whole overall predominantly substantially to the greatest extent usually

Antonyms

STRONG

secondarily

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.

She said their libraries mainly buy paperbacks due to the lower cost.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Al-Qard Al-Hassan is affiliated with Hezbollah and provides interest-free loans to mainly Shia Muslim communities who have faced financial difficulty amid Lebanon's economic crises.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance 2026 assessment reports that Cuba has 49,000 active personnel, mainly in the army, and an additional 39,000 reservists.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Current treatments mainly focus on easing symptoms and lowering inflammation, depending on the specific type of arthritis.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

Mersenne’s community was an informal group which met and exchanged letters, though he expressed a wish to form a proper college that would function mainly through correspondence.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

mainly

Example Sentences

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