chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

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

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
Rosales drew in other organizations from Mexico City—chiefly, the Jesuit-founded Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center, known as the Centro Prodh. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The other names on the Democratic ballot, chiefly, Biden's remaining challenger, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, are unlikely to garner any meaningful support in this race. Ashley Lopez, NPR, 27 Feb. 2024 Remaining true to Keegan’s novella, Small Things Like These isn’t chiefly about the Magdalene Laundries (which also provided the backdrop to Stephen Frears’ Philomena). David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 Both the head of the Czech space program, Commissioner Tuma (Isabella Rossellini), and Jakub’s main contact back at the base, Peter (Kunal Nayyar), focus chiefly on getting their man to the outer limits of Jupiter to collect particle specimens while keeping the sponsors happy. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 In the last two years, this has opened the floodgates to miners seeking its comparatively positive reception to bitcoin mining, coupled with its abundance of energy sources—chiefly hydro—to its optimal weather and cheap energy costs. Abubakar Nur Khalil, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 But his ideas were there, chiefly the guiding atomic principle that a small amount of mass can generate a tremendous amount of energy. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024 This list has general advice for people making the move from anywhere in the world, but focuses chiefly on US citizens. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 True to this direction, Donda 2, the sequel to last year’s Donda, is not chiefly concerned with the music. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The building materials, chiefly wood, oolite limestone and concrete with no steel supports, were crumbling. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 That includes chiefly masks of various types and hand-washing. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2023 After the British arrived, Tu, a scion of a chiefly family on Tahiti, dealt cleverly with the newcomers. Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022 Known to Samoans by her chiefly title of Fiame, the daughter of the country's original prime minister served as Samoa's first female cabinet minister from 1991 to 2006. Erin Spencer, Forbes, 19 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chiefly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th 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 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chiefly

Cite this Entry

“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiefly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chiefly

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

More from Merriam-Webster on chiefly

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