mainstream

1 of 3

noun

main·​stream ˈmān-ˌstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream adjective

mainstream

2 of 3

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

mainstream

3 of 3

verb

main·​stream ˈmān-ˈstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams

transitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Yet the website has also been one of the most reliable mainstream destinations on the internet to see Photoshopped images of public figures (or their family members) in gas chambers, or crude, racist cartoons of Jewish men. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 And kudos to Tyler for never forsaking his outsider status for the sake of mainstream exposure, or capitulating to any hip-hop trends over the past decade. Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
His stance on foreign policy, particularly his criticism of the U.S. role in the Israel-Hamas war, has set him apart from mainstream Democratic leaders. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Women like her provide a crucial point of connection between Gotham’s mainstream upper classes, and the tarnished wealth of organized crime. Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Payments solutions, meanwhile, serve as Web3’s bridge to mainstream financial systems. Tomer Niv, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 This could range from industry-specific magazines to mainstream business outlets to verticals, columns and contributor posts. Alexander Storozhuk, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mainstream 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1955, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1974, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainstream was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near mainstream

Cite this Entry

“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mainstream

noun
main·​stream
-ˌstrēm
: the principal current or direction of activity or influence

Medical Definition

mainstream

adjective
main·​stream ˌmān-ˌstrēm How to pronounce mainstream (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on mainstream

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