1
: most importantly : principally, especially
Synonyms
Examples of chiefly in a Sentence
Adverb
our video collection consists chiefly of comedies, but we have a few horror movies
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert Gutierrez, Orange County Register, 25 May 2024
His opponents, chiefly Dixon, argue residents take little comfort from that as quality-of-life crimes, such as car thefts, have spiked.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chiefly 
Adverb
The thesis of the report is that for lower-income households, California’s tax burden is similar to that of states against which California competes, chiefly Texas and Florida.
—Robert Gutierrez, Orange County Register, 25 May 2024
His opponents, chiefly Dixon, argue residents take little comfort from that as quality-of-life crimes, such as car thefts, have spiked.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chiefly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chiefly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chiefly
Cite this Entry
“Chiefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiefly. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.
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