Meaning

2 senses
  1. (focus)Especially or primarily; above all.

    Their relationship is chiefly professional.

    This is a term chiefly used by online gamers.

  2. (focus)Mainly or principally; almost entirely.

    hauptsächlich

    в основно́мv osnovnóm, осо́бенноosóbenno, пе́рвоочерёдно rarepérvoočerjodno

    в основно́муv osnovnómu, головни́м чи́номholovným čýnom, особли́воosoblývo

More definitions
  • for the most part

Examples

17 sentences
  1. Matter is composed chiefly of nothing.

    Матерія складається в основному з порожнечи.

    deMaterie besteht im Wesentlichen aus nichts.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · carlosalberto · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  2. Chiefly, I want you to be more frank.

    В основному, я хочу, щоб ти був відвертішим.

    deVor allem will ich, dass du offener redest.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · auxitt · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  3. The committee is composed chiefly of professors.

    deDas Komitee setzt sich hauptsächlich aus Professoren zusammen.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Auride · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  4. Political violence is chiefly a right-wing phenomenon.

    CC0 · Tatoeba · shekitten · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  5. The accident was caused chiefly by the unpredictable weather.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · C1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
mainly or principally, almost entirely:
Русский
By meaning 1
mainly or principally, almost entirely:
Deutsch
By meaning 1
mainly or principally, almost entirely:

Origin

From Middle English chefly; equivalent to chief + -ly (adverbial suffix).

From Middle English chefly; equivalent to chief + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

more chiefly, most chiefly
Comparativemore chiefly Lesson
Superlativemost chiefly

regular

Synonyms

9 synonyms

Word family

1 related words
Relatedchief

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
chiefly — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto