noun The main thing that something relies on for support.
- Agriculture is the mainstay of this country’s economy.
noun A person or thing you can always count on to play a steady, important part.
- I expected the open-air markets, but defrosted bouillabaisse and canned ratatouille weren’t what I imagined to be staples of Parisian culinary life. Yet they’ve become mainstays.
— Julia Belluz, The French Secret to Eating Healthy? Prepared Food and Frozen Dinners (2025)
- Lauren Hemp, making her 50th appearance for the Lionesses, was preferred in central attack over mainstay Russo, while Chelsea centre-back Jess Carter was the chosen replacement for injured club team-mate Millie Bright.
— Emma Sanders, England 3-2 Netherlands (2023)
