Definitions

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.

Although the telescope's survey was originally designed mainly to discover exoplanets through photometric microlensing, its advanced astrometric precision may open the door to entirely new kinds of discoveries.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

The Andes virus, which circulates in Argentina and Chile and is mainly spread among the long-tailed pygmy rice rat, is the only hantavirus strain known to be able to transmit from human to human.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Job growth has been weak, see-sawing between expansion and contraction for months, with new jobs mainly driven by the health care sector.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Others have said shoppers still use chatbots mainly to learn more about products, rather than make purchases.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

It was lodged in the uppermost branches of a tree that was mainly submerged in the river.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

mainly

Example Sentences

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