as in mainly
for the most part
our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of chiefly
Weicker, an opponent of casino gambling, argued that gaming centers would greatly increase demand for social programs, public safety, affordable housing and other services provided chiefly by municipalities, which should therefore get most of the state’s share of gaming revenues.
—
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Control over the strait is now the regime’s greatest source of leverage, and the war’s outcome will depend chiefly on whether Iran still holds sway over it, and thus global energy markets.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Those who read chiefly for pleasure are more comfortable letting details blur.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chiefly
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Control over the strait is now the regime’s greatest source of leverage, and the war’s outcome will depend chiefly on whether Iran still holds sway over it, and thus global energy markets.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Those who read chiefly for pleasure are more comfortable letting details blur.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chiefly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chiefly
Adverb
-
The layout resembled a samurai sword, where the hardest material is concentrated mainly along the cutting edge.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
-
In the complex circulatory system of a Boeing 737, the landing gear is controlled mainly by hydraulics driven by the left engine.—
James Glanz,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Following those highs came a string of solid but unexciting records, which mostly stuck with Metric’s formula while adding the occasional left-field lyric about the Kool-Aid-drinking masses or confounding reference to QAnon.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
-
Used mostly during financial crises, the Fed gives dollars to another country's central bank and receives an equal amount of the foreign bank's currency in return.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
While Hypersail will be primarily powered by the wind in its 131ft high sail plan, the boat will be configured to capture all kinds of renewable energy on its way across the oceans, says Ribigini.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Throughout the album, the beats are felt primarily in the ribcage and the gut.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Adverb
-
David Attenborough grew up largely in Leicester, in the center of England, where his father was the principal of a university.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Democrats in Congress largely looked the other way.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
The biggest beneficiaries of Gulf defense spending in recent years have been Western allies, principally the US.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Both are principally manufactured by TSMC.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
And people living in predominantly Black neighborhoods pay higher property tax rates than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
Christian villages along the border with Israel have been mostly spared intense Israeli bombardment that has caused wide destruction in other parts of predominantly Shiite southern Lebanon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chiefly. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
