adv · 4 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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈməʊstli/
General-American:/ˈmoʊstli/
General-American:/ˈmoʊsli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with (Received Pronunciation) -əʊstli
rhymes with (General American) -oʊstli
CMU ARPABET:M OW1 S T L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:M OW1 S L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Mainly or chiefly; for the most part; usually, generally, on the whole.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
They're mostly good people, although they have made a few mistakes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
To the greatest extent; most.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
in large part; mainly or chiefly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
These accounts are largely inactive
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: largely, for the most part
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
usually; as a rule
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
by and large it doesn't rain much here
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: by and large, generally, more often than not
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh2-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Middle English English most Middle English -ly English -ly English mostly From most + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հիմնականում
(himnakanum)
— for the most part
Bashkir:
башлыса
(başlısa)
— for the most part
Basque:
gehienbat
— for the most part
Belarusian:
найболей
(najbóljej)
— for the most part
Breton:
peurvuiañ
— for the most part
Breton:
peurliesañ
— for the most part
Bulgarian:
в по-голямата си част
(v po-goljamata si čast)
— for the most part
Bulgarian:
главно
(glavno)
— for the most part
Bulgarian:
в повечето случаи
(v povečeto slučai)
— for the most part
Bulgarian:
обикновено
(obiknoveno)
— for the most part
Catalan:
sobretot
— for the most part
Catalan:
per damunt de tot
— for the most part
Chinese Mandarin:
大多
(dàduō)
— for the most part
Chinese Mandarin:
大抵
(dàdǐ)
— for the most part
Chinese Mandarin:
大都
(dàdū)
— for the most part
Czech:
převážně
— for the most part
Czech:
většinou
— for the most part
Czech:
vesměs
— for the most part
Dutch:
meestal
— for the most part
Dutch:
overwegend
— for the most part
Dutch:
voornamelijk
— for the most part
Esperanto:
plimulte
— for the most part
Esperanto:
plejparte
— for the most part
Faroese:
mest
— for the most part
Finnish:
enimmäkseen
— for the most part
Finnish:
lähinnä
— for the most part
French:
surtout
— for the most part
French:
majoritairement
— for the most part
West-Frisian:
almeast
— for the most part
German:
meistens
— for the most part
German:
überwiegend
— for the most part
German:
weitgehend
— for the most part
German:
größtenteils
— for the most part
German:
zumeist
— for the most part
Hindi:
ज़्यादातर
(zyādātar)
— for the most part
Hindi:
अधिकतर
(adhiktar)
— for the most part
Hungarian:
nagyrészt
— for the most part
Hungarian:
jórészt
— for the most part
Hungarian:
zömmel
— for the most part
Hungarian:
túlnyomórészt
— for the most part
Hungarian:
jobbára
— for the most part
Ingrian:
enemmäst
— for the most part
Irish:
go formhór
— for the most part
Irish:
d'fhormhór
— for the most part
Italian:
soprattutto
— for the most part
Italian:
per lo più
— for the most part
Japanese:
大方は
(ōkata wa)
— for the most part
Japanese:
大体は
(daitai wa)
— for the most part
Japanese:
たいてい
(taitei)
— for the most part
Korean:
대체로
(daechero)
— for the most part
Korean:
대개
(daegae)
— for the most part
Latin:
plērumque
— for the most part
Polish:
głównie
— for the most part
Polish:
przeważnie
— for the most part
Polish:
w głównej mierze
— for the most part
Portuguese:
sobretudo
— for the most part
Portuguese:
principalmente
— for the most part
Portuguese:
normalmente
— for the most part
Romanian:
în special
— for the most part
Romanian:
mai ales
— for the most part
Romanian:
mai cu seamă
— for the most part
Russian:
по бо́льшей ча́сти
(po bólʹšej části)
— for the most part
Russian:
гла́вным о́бразом
(glávnym óbrazom)
— for the most part
Russian:
ча́ще всего́
(čášče vsevó)
— for the most part
Russian:
в основно́м
(v osnovnóm)
— for the most part
Scots:
maistly
— for the most part
Scots:
maistlins
— for the most part
Serbo-Croatian:
превасходно
— for the most part
Serbo-Croatian:
углавном
— for the most part
Serbo-Croatian:
prevashodno
— for the most part
Serbo-Croatian:
uglavnom
— for the most part
Slovak:
predovšetkým
— for the most part
Slovene:
predvsém
— for the most part
Slovene:
v glávnem
— for the most part
Spanish:
más que nada
— for the most part
Spanish:
en su mayoría
— for the most part
Swedish:
mestadels
— for the most part
Tamil:
பெரும்பாலும்
(perumpālum)
— for the most part
Ukrainian:
головним чином
(holovnym čynom)
— for the most part
Ukrainian:
здебільшого
(zdebilʹšoho)
— for the most part
Ukrainian:
переважно
(perevažno)
— for the most part
Ukrainian:
звичайно
(zvyčajno)
— for the most part
