main·stream
ˈmān-ˌstrēm 
: a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
: having, reflecting, or being compatible with the prevailing attitudes and values of a society or group
mainstream media
movies that appeal to a mainstream audience
mainstream success
main·stream
ˈmān-ˈstrēm
mainstreamed; mainstreaming; mainstreams
1
: to place (a student, such as a disabled child) in regular school classes
2
: to incorporate in the mainstream
Examples of mainstream in a Sentence
Verb
The poor should be mainstreamed into the private health-insurance system.
Ideas that were once controversial have now become mainstreamed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Webb has not only pushed back the tape of galaxy formation, but even mainstream observational astronomers now realize that their models need updating to explain what Webb has been seeing only 300 million years after the big bang.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
Robson ran for governor in 2022 against Lake, positioning herself as a more mainstream conservative, but ultimately lost the primary after Trump backed Lake.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Image Though less known to mainstream viewers in the United States, Hawes, 49, has long been a familiar presence in British living rooms, with roles dating to the late 1980s.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
But at a time when many mainstream figures are looking for a way — any way — into the podcasting gold rush, Ms. Amanpour sees her unorthodox reunion with Mr. Rubin as an example of how to build bridges against the odds.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Webb has not only pushed back the tape of galaxy formation, but even mainstream observational astronomers now realize that their models need updating to explain what Webb has been seeing only 300 million years after the big bang.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
What that means for any particular country, however, depends on how mainstream conservative parties respond.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
Robson ran for governor in 2022 against Lake, positioning herself as a more mainstream conservative, but ultimately lost the primary after Trump backed Lake.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Verb
Will mainstream religions inevitably benefit at the expense of sects with fringier views?
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Image Though less known to mainstream viewers in the United States, Hawes, 49, has long been a familiar presence in British living rooms, with roles dating to the late 1980s.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mainstream
adjective
main·stream
ˌmān-ˌstrēm
: relating to or being tobacco smoke that is drawn (as from a cigarette) directly into the mouth of the smoker and is usually inhaled into the lungs compare sidestream
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