chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

chief·​ly ˈchē-flē 

1

: most importantly : principally, especially

2

: for the most part : mostly, mainly

chiefly

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to a chief

chiefly duties

Synonyms of chiefly

Adverb

• mainly
• mostly
• primarily
• largely
• principally
• predominantly

Examples of chiefly in a Sentence

Adverb

our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Since 2010, its archrival has captured around 60% of that market, chiefly due to the superior range of its A320neo and A320XLR families. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 2026

Harris has taken the religious patina of Alice Walker’s tale—most chiefly the Christian God, to whom Celie writes her heartsick journal entries after she is separated from her beloved sister, Nettie, by the monstrous Pa and the vindictive Mister—and dirties it, wisely. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Adjective

Astilbe is a noun meaning any of a genus of chiefly Asian perennial plants of the saxifrage family that have simple or usually compound leaves and are widely cultivated for their panicles of usually white, pink or red flowers. —City News Service, Daily News, 26 May 2026

The annual celebration, which traces its roots back to the chiefly British Empire Day, observes the unity of the Commonwealth of Nations, an international association of 56 countries. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chiefly

• briefly

Kids Definition

chiefly

adverb

chief·​ly

ˈchē-flē

1

: above all

2

: for the most part