mainly
ˈmeɪnli
Definition Synonyms

Definition of mainly - Reverso English Dictionary

Adverb

chieflyfor the most part or primarily
  • The audience was mainly teenagers.
  • The book is mainly about history.
  • She mainly focuses on her career.
chiefly primarily
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with mainly

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
primarily intended to impress others
The decorations were mainly for show, not for practical use.

Origin of mainly

Old English, mægen (strength) + -ly (adverbial suffix)

Terms with mainly included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
food
dish made mainly from boiled wheat noodles
work trips
journey made mainly for work duties instead of for vacation
university class
class session mainly involving one person speaking to students
mostlyadv.
degree
mainly or chiefly in most cases
business
rooms or areas in a building used mainly for desk work
responsibility
set of tasks or topics someone is mainly responsible for
restaurant
place selling mainly burgers and similar foods
food ingredient
made mainly from cheese or containing a lot of cheese

View all translations of mainly

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:principalement, ...
  2. German:hauptsächlich, ...
  3. Italian:principalmente, ...
  4. Spanish:principalmente, ...
  5. Portuguese:principalmente, ...
  6. Chinese:主要, ...
  7. Japanese:主に, ...
  8. Arabic:بِشَكْلٍ رَئِيسِيٍّ, ...
  9. Hebrew:בְּעִיקָּר, ...
  10. Russian:в основном, ...
  11. Ukrainian:переважно, ...
  12. Hindi:मुख्यतः, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery