adv Uncommon

chiefly

CHEEF-lee

Chiefly (adv) means Mainly or for the most part. Example: “The delay was caused chiefly by bad weather.”

adv

Mainly or for the most part.

"The delay was caused chiefly by bad weather."

"The class is aimed chiefly at beginners."

How to use chiefly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMostly, primarily — used to point out the main reason or focus among several.

Common pairings

chiefly because chiefly due to aimed chiefly at

more chiefly comparative, chieflier comparative, most chiefly superlative, chiefliest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The delay was caused _____ by bad weather.

Formed from "chief" plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

particularly for the most part largely

especially usually particularly completely mostly mainly specifically largely

firefly briefly

What does “chiefly” mean?

The word “chiefly” means mainly or for the most part. In plain terms, mostly, primarily — used to point out the main reason or focus among several.

How do you pronounce “chiefly”?

“Chiefly” is pronounced CHEEF-lee (/ˈtʃiːf.li/ in IPA).

How do you use “chiefly” in a sentence?

Here is “chiefly” used in a sentence: “The delay was caused chiefly by bad weather.”

What is another word for “chiefly”?

Words with a similar meaning to “chiefly” include particularly, for the most part and largely.

What part of speech is “chiefly”?

“Chiefly” is an adverb.

Is “chiefly” a common word?

“Chiefly” is an uncommon word in modern English.

especially usually particularly completely mostly mainly specifically largely