chiefly
/ˈtʃiːf.li/ adverb, adjective
Forms chieflier chiefliest
- adverb (focus) Especially or primarily; above all. “Their relationship is chiefly professional.”
- adverb (focus) Mainly or principally; almost entirely.
- adjective Of or relating to a chief.
Synonyms
first and foremost by and large particularly for the most part largely principally primarily mainly in the main
Etymology
From Middle English chefly; equivalent to chief + -ly (adverbial suffix).
From chief + -ly (adjectival suffix). Piecewise doublet of chefly and headly.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb In the first place; principally; preëminently; above; especially.
- adverb For the most part; mostly.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “chiefly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details