Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪnli/

Definitions of mainly

adjective chief, principal, leading

Example Sentences

A1 I mainly eat vegetables for dinner.

A2 She mainly listens to pop music.

B1 The hotel mainly caters to business travelers.

B2 The book is mainly focused on historical events.

C1 The company mainly operates in the technology sector.

C2 His research mainly consists of analyzing data from various sources.

adverb chiefly, principally, in the main

Example Sentences

A1 I mainly eat vegetables for dinner.

A2 She mainly listens to pop music.

B1 The company mainly focuses on sustainable practices.

B2 The research findings were mainly inconclusive.

C1 The novel is mainly set in 19th century England.

C2 The artist's work is mainly characterized by abstract forms.

Examples of mainly in a Sentence

formal The company mainly focuses on sustainable practices in their production process.

informal I mainly eat vegetarian food, but I'll have a burger every now and then.

slang She's mainly into hip hop music, but she'll listen to pop sometimes.

figurative His argument mainly revolves around the importance of education in society.

Grammatical Forms of mainly

past tense

mainlied

plural

mainlies

comparative

more mainly

superlative

most mainly

present tense

mainly

future tense

will mainly

perfect tense

have mainly

continuous tense

is mainly

singular

mainly

positive degree

mainly

infinitive

to mainly

gerund

mainlying

participle

mainlied

Origin and Evolution of mainly

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'mainly' originated from the Middle English word 'mainliche' which came from the Old English word 'mǣgenlīċe' meaning 'powerfully'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'mainly' shifted from 'powerfully' to 'chiefly' or 'primarily'. The word is now commonly used to indicate something that is predominantly or mostly the case.