chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

chief·​ly ˈchē-flē How to pronounce chiefly (audio)
Synonyms of chieflynext
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

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Adverb

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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
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Adverb
Throughout the twentieth century, these chiefly Latin and South American writers such as Allende and García Márquez, Pablo Neruda and Jorge Luis Borges employed magical realism in overt and subversive ways, playing with both reality and fantasy. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 The grocery and home delivery space faces stiff competition chiefly from Amazon and Walmart, which has pressured conventional grocers for years. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 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 See All Example Sentences for chiefly

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chiefly was in the 15th century

Rhymes for chiefly

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Browse Nearby Words

chiefless
chiefly
chief master sergeant
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Cite this Entry

“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiefly. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

chiefly

adverb
chief·​ly
ˈchē-flē
1
: above all
2
: for the most part
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