mostly
- 1Mainly or chiefly; for the most part or on the whole.
The audience was mostly made up of longtime fans.
Her diet consists mostly of vegetables, grains, and beans.
UsageFor 'the majority of', use most: most students like it (not
incorrect: mostly students like it). Mostly says what is mainly true: mostly made up of fans.Similarmainly, largely, chiefly, primarily, predominantly
- 2More than any other person or thing; most, as when those mostly affected are the ones affected worst.
Note
This sense is a trap for readers of older prose: it means 'most of all', not 'mainly'. When Jane Austen, in Northanger Abbey, writes of the person whose society her heroine mostly prized, she means the company valued above every other. The word is simply most plus -ly, and in this use it has given way to most and most of all. Modern writers should use those instead, and leave mostly to the 'for the most part' meaning.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The older sense of mostly means 'most of all', rather than 'mainly'. en.wiktionary.org
- Jane Austen uses 'whose society she mostly prized' in Northanger Abbey, describing the company her heroine valued most. gutenberg.org
- Mostly is formed from most and -ly. en.wiktionary.org
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with mostly, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.
Origin
Formed from "most" combined with the suffix "-ly".
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Mostly is formed from most and the suffix -ly. en.wiktionary.org