adj · noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmeɪn.stɹiːm/
Canada, General-American:/ˈmeɪn.stɹim/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˈmæɪn.stɹiːm/
CMU ARPABET:M EY1 N S T R IY2 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Used or accepted broadly rather than by small portions of population, market, scientific community, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
They often carry stories you won't find in the mainstream media.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The principal current in a flow, such as a river or flow of air
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
That which is common; the norm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: usually
Examples
ideas outside of the mainstream
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To popularize, to normalize, to render mainstream.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To become mainstream.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To educate (a disabled student) together with non-disabled students.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, transitive
Topics: education
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
the prevailing current of thought
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his thinking was in the American mainstream
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: thought
History
Etymology
From main + stream. Cognate with Icelandic meginstraumur (“a main current, mainstream”).
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
meynstrim
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Azerbaijani:
başaxın
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Bulgarian:
преобладаващ
(preobladavašt)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Chinese Mandarin:
主流的
(zhǔliú de)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Czech:
mainstreamový
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Esperanto:
ĉefstila
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Finnish:
valtavirtaa edustava
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Finnish:
valtavirta-
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Finnish:
valta-
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
French:
commercial
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
French:
conventionnel
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Galician:
convencional
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Georgian:
ძირითადი მიმართულება
(ʒiritadi mimartuleba)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Georgian:
წამყვანი მიმართულება
(c̣amq̇vani mimartuleba)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Georgian:
გავრცელებული
(gavrcelebuli)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Georgian:
დამკვიდრებული
(damḳvidrebuli)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Georgian:
მეინსტრიმული
(meinsṭrimuli)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
German:
Mainstream-
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
German:
etabliert
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
German:
konventionell
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Greek:
κυρίαρχο ρεύμα
(kyríarcho révma)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Greek:
επικρατούσα τάση
(epikratoúsa tási)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
meghatározó
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
irányadó
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
fősodorbeli
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
fősodratú
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
főáramú
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Hungarian:
mainstream
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Indonesian:
arus utama
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Irish:
lárshrutha
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Irish:
príomhshrutha
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
virale
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
corrente
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
comune
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
convenzionale
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
conformista
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
prestabilito
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
tradizionale
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Italian:
flusso mediatico predominante
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Japanese:
主流
(shuryū)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Malayalam:
മുഖ്യധാര
(mukhyadhāra)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Māori:
auraki
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Polish:
mainstreamowy
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Portuguese:
convencional
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Russian:
мейнстри́мовый
(mɛjnstrímovyj)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Russian:
мейнстри́мный
(mɛjnstrímnyj)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Russian:
основно́й
(osnovnój)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Russian:
магистра́льный
(magistrálʹnyj)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
normal
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
aceptado
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
cotidiano
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
convencional
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
hegemónico
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
de corriente dominante
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
cuotidiano
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
comercial
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
típico
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
establecido
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
establido (disused)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
preestablecido
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
común y corriente
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
corriente y moliente
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
predominante
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
popular
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Spanish:
famoso
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Ukrainian:
мейнстри́мний
(mejnstrýmnyj)
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Vietnamese:
chính thống
— used or accepted broadly; common, usual or conventional
Bulgarian:
преобладаваща тенденция
(preobladavašta tendencija)
— that which is common
Chinese Mandarin:
主流
(zhǔliú)
— that which is common
Czech:
hlavní proud
— that which is common
Czech:
mejnstrým
— that which is common
Finnish:
valtavirta
— that which is common
German:
Hauptrichtung
— that which is common
German:
Mainstream
— that which is common
Hungarian:
fősodor
— that which is common
Hungarian:
mainstream
— that which is common
Indonesian:
arus utama
— that which is common
Japanese:
主流
(shuryū)
— that which is common
Malay:
arus perdana
— that which is common
Polish:
mainstream
— that which is common
Russian:
основно́е направле́ние
(osnovnóje napravlénije)
— that which is common
Russian:
мейнстри́м
(mɛjnstrím)
— that which is common
Spanish:
lo común y corriente
— that which is common
Spanish:
corriente dominante
— that which is common
Spanish:
lo corriente y moliente
— that which is common