1
: physical strength : force
—used in the phrase with might and main
The next instant we were away down the river, clawing with might and main to keep out of the woods.—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain3
: the chief part : essential point
they are in the main well-trained
4
: a pipe, duct, or circuit which carries the combined flow of tributary branches of a utility system
Synonyms
Noun
Adjective
Examples of main in a Sentence
Noun
My radio runs either off batteries or off the mains.
Turn off the water at the mains.
Adjective
Speed is the main advantage of this approach.
The company's main office is located in New York.
driving down the main road
This dish can be served as a main course or appetizer.
And now for the main event of the evening!
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Spiegel, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
Lunch is served at 11 a.m. Per the Federal Bureau of Prisons' national menu, Monday lunch mains can include Southwest chicken wraps, chicken tacos, cheese pizza or three-bean chili.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
The measure’s main opponents, the state Republican Party and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, did not appear to raise any money to campaign against the proposition.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for main 
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Noun
For mains, check out pollo alla lambrusco — an Italian riff on coq au vin.
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
Lunch is served at 11 a.m. Per the Federal Bureau of Prisons' national menu, Monday lunch mains can include Southwest chicken wraps, chicken tacos, cheese pizza or three-bean chili.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
The zinc gradually lost its hold on the cables suspending the telescope’s main platform over the reflector dish.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
The measure’s main opponents, the state Republican Party and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, did not appear to raise any money to campaign against the proposition.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for main
Dictionary Entries Near main
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/main. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
main
2 of 2 adjective1
: chief entry 1 sense 2, principal
the main idea
2
: pure sense 3, sheer
by main force
3
: being a clause that is capable of standing alone as a simple sentence but is part of a larger sentence that includes a subordinate clause or another main clause
mainly
adverb
Geographical Definition
Main
geographical name
ˈmīn 
ˈmān
river 325 miles (523 kilometers) long in south central Germany rising in northern Bavaria in the Fichtelgebirge and flowing west into the Rhine River
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