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Definition of mainly

mainly

/ˈmeɪn.li/
main · ly
Adjective:main
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mainly Lexical Profile

mainly Game Scores & Validity

• adverb

1

More than anything else; for the most part or chiefly.

Example

"The island's economy relies mainly on tourism and small-scale agriculture."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for mainly

• Nearby Words

mainland
mainlander
mainline
mainly
mainmast
mains
mainsail

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in Middle English as mainli (originally meaning "strongly" or "loudly"), from main (from Old English mægen, "strength" or "power") + -ly.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mainly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mainly
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