Word
mainly
Phoneticsmain·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmeɪnɫi/
UK/mˈeɪnli/
Adverb of degree
Definitions
01mostly or chiefly
B1 · Intermediate
adv. mostly; used to talk about the most important part of something or the most common situation.
adv. principally or for the most part; used to identify the primary factor, reason, or constituent in a set.
日本語:主に※
“The crowd at the music festival was mainly made up of teenagers.”
“The local economy relies mainly on seasonal tourism, which leaves many residents seeking alternative employment during the winter months.”
Synonyms
02forcefully
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
adv. with great strength or power.
adv. with great force, vigour, or intensity.
“The knights fought mainly against the invaders to protect their land.”
“In the ancient chronicles, the hero is described as striking mainly at his foes until the shield itself shattered under the pressure.”
Usage
In modern English, this sense has been entirely replaced by 'forcefully' or 'vigorously'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “mainly” in context.
Verb
01. mainly apply
“These new rules mainly apply to international students.”
adv + verb
02. mainly base
“The movie is mainly based on a true story.”
adv + verb
03. mainly cause
“The traffic jam was mainly caused by a broken-down bus.”
adv + verb
04. mainly compose
“The atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen and oxygen.”
adv + verb
05. mainly concentrate
“I want to mainly concentrate on my studies this semester.”
adv + verb
06. mainly concern
“The report mainly concerns the safety of the new building.”
adv + verb
07. mainly consist
“The audience mainly consisted of teenagers.”
adv + verb
08. mainly deal
“This department mainly deals with customer complaints.”
adv + verb
09. mainly depend
“Our success will mainly depend on how hard we work.”
adv + verb
10. mainly derive
“The company's profits mainly derive from online sales.”
adv + verb
11. mainly focus
“Today's meeting will mainly focus on the new budget.”
adv + verb
12. mainly involve
“The job will mainly involve answering phones and filing papers.”
adv + verb
Etymology
From Middle English maynly; equivalent to main + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/mainly
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0