main·stream
ˈmān-ˌstrēm 
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
: having, reflecting, or being compatible with the prevailing attitudes and values of a society or group
mainstream media
movies that appeal to a mainstream audience
mainstream success
main·stream
ˈmān-ˈstrēm
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams
1
: to place (a student, such as a disabled child) in regular school classes
2
: to incorporate in the mainstream
Examples of mainstream in a Sentence
Verb
The poor should be mainstreamed into the private health-insurance system.
Ideas that were once controversial have now become mainstreamed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Trending on Billboard The Pop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on over 150 mainstream top 40 radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025
Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2025
Topline The odds are slim that President-elect Donald Trump saves TikTok for U.S. users long term, at least according to the prediction markets which became mainstream during the 2024 election, with millions of dollars on the line betting the popular video app will soon go dark for Americans.
—Derek Saul, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025
Now, a small group of companies and enthusiasts are laying the groundwork for bringing RISC-V to mainstream consumer devices.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mainstream 
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Noun
Just as Monero has demonstrated that a cryptocurrency can thrive despite being effectively banned from mainstream exchanges, Bitcoin's network would continue to process transactions and maintain its integrity regardless of regulatory headwinds.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Trending on Billboard The Pop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on over 150 mainstream top 40 radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
But while 4chan posters and online trolls started the pro-Trump movement, the crowd at the Power 30 Awards is evidence of how mainstream the movement has become.
—Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2025
Topline The odds are slim that President-elect Donald Trump saves TikTok for U.S. users long term, at least according to the prediction markets which became mainstream during the 2024 election, with millions of dollars on the line betting the popular video app will soon go dark for Americans.
—Derek Saul, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
That was as close to mainstream Hollywood acceptance as Lynch would ever get, and he was burned by his next venture, a big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel Dune.
—Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025
Now, a small group of companies and enthusiasts are laying the groundwork for bringing RISC-V to mainstream consumer devices.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mainstream
Dictionary Entries Near mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
ˌmān-ˌstrēm
: relating to or being tobacco smoke that is drawn (as from a cigarette) directly into the mouth of the smoker and is usually inhaled into the lungs compare sidestream
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