chiefly
for the most part
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,926 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 5,614 times across 175,112 chapters — 0.003% of every word in the library.
What it means
adverb
- for the most part also: principally, primarily, mainly, in the main he is mainly interested in butterflies
chiefly in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
With your indulgence, I will speak out: you--teachers --are chiefly responsible for the decay of oratory.
The Satyricon — Volume 01: Introduction · 20-66 Petronius Arbiter · Chapter 1
-
It was a little but populous village, inhabited chiefly by sheep farmers, whose flocks grazed on the neighboring hills.
The Shadow of a Crime: A Cumbrian Romance · Hall, Sir Caine · Chapter 1
-
On musk oxen the tribes depend chiefly for hides and meat, and on walrus for both food and fuel.
The Eternal Maiden · T. Everett (Thomas Everett) Harré · Chapter 1
-
The Commerce of this town was chiefly with Spain and Portugal and the West Indies, especially with St. Eustatia.
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6 · Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks · Chapter 1
-
The few foot-notes in this book are chiefly intended to make clear some passages where there is a choice of reading.
The Odyssey of Homer · 751? BCE-651? BCE Homer · Chapter 1