English Reference
Adverb

predominantly

adv. degree
C1 Advanced Oxford US /ˌpɹɪˈdɑmənəntˌɫi/ UK /pɹɪdˈɒmɪnəntli/ pre·dom·i·nant·ly

adv.mostly or mainly. You use this to say that one thing is more common or important than everything else in a group.

adv.for the most part; mainly or mostly. Used to indicate that a specific quality or group constitutes the majority of a whole.


SIMPLE

The audience is predominantly young people.

CONTEXTUAL

The local economy is predominantly based on tourism, though some small farms still operate in the hills.

COMPLEX

While the city is becoming more diverse, the northern districts remain predominantly residential, consisting of single-family homes built during the mid-century expansion.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or noun phrase it modifies, or after the verb 'to be'.

Pitfall
The predominantly of students are local.The majority of students are local.

Learners sometimes confuse the adverb 'predominantly' with the noun 'majority' or 'predominance'.

Despite those limitations, researchers say the increase in cases involving predominantly young people is particularly concerning because younger generations tend to have greater digital literacy.

ScienceDaily· 15 Aug 2026

Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of the seminary, which is known locally as Ritapiret Seminary on the predominantly Catholic island of Flores.

Phys.org· 15 Aug 2026

Common in science writing


From predominant + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated