chiefly

1 of 2

adverb

chief·​ly ˈchē-flē 

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

Adverb

• mainly
• mostly
• primarily
• largely
• principally
• predominantly

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

The five original Nobel Prizes were created under the terms of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel’s will and have been awarded since 1901, with only limited interruptions, chiefly during World War I and World War II. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

The costs have been driven up chiefly by efforts to modernize pricing. — Michael Phillis, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 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

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chiefly

• briefly

Kids Definition

chiefly

adverb

chief·​ly

ˈchē-flē

1

: above all

2

: for the most part