mostly

The word “mostly” means for the greater part; mainly or generally. In plain terms, used to say something is true in most cases, but not necessarily all.

“Mostly” is pronounced MOHST-lee (/ˈmoʊstli/ in IPA).

Here is “mostly” used in a sentence: “The audience was mostly students.”

Words with a similar meaning to “mostly” include by and large, in the main, more often than not, predominantly, largely and principally.

The opposite of “mostly” — its antonyms — are almost and slightly.

“Mostly” is an adverb.

“Mostly” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

The two are very close and often interchangeable. Mostly leans toward 'for the greatest part' or 'most of the time,' suggesting a large majority. Mainly leans toward 'chiefly' or 'above all,' pointing to the most important reason or element. In everyday speech, either usually works fine.

No. Mostly means for the greater part, not entirely. If something is mostly true, it is true in most respects but not every one; if you are mostly at home, you are there most of the time but not constantly. It leaves room for exceptions, whereas 'always' allows none.

You might say, 'The audience was mostly students,' meaning students formed the majority but not everyone. Other examples include 'I mostly work from home' or 'the weather was mostly sunny,' where mostly signals that something is generally or largely the case, allowing for some exceptions.