mostly
/ˈmoʊstli/adverb★Beginner💡 for the greatest part
general
for the greatest part; mainly
He mostly eats vegetables.
Vegetables make up the majority of his diet.
The movie was mostly boring.
Most of the movie was uninteresting.
💡
Often used to indicate that something is true in most cases, though not always.
Collocations
mostly aboutprimarily concerningmostly inprimarily located in
Antonyms
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'mostly' to describe something that is true in most cases but not always.
⚡Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
Use 'mostly' to emphasize the majority, but avoid it when 'usually' or 'generally' would be clearer.
📖Word Origin
From Middle English 'mostli', from 'most' + '-ly' (adverbial suffix).
📝Usage Notes
Can be used to soften a statement, indicating that something is generally true but not absolute.
Word Breakdown
most
greatest in amount or degree
root-ly
adverbial suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary