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
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Look at mainstream coverage of the Iraq War, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the genocide in Palestine.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Nothing can be done, at this point, about the dubious premise that mainstream Jews and gentiles in 2020s Los Angeles occupy separate social worlds.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
And Tucker Carlson has gained attention with his own programming distributed via social and digital media, Their audiences can be smaller and more disparate than the ones that come to mainstream news outlets, but in an era of cord-cutting, their niche power is not to be dismissed.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
The decision to shutter Boss Fight comes as Netflix games chief Alain Tascan, who joined the company last year, seeks to pivot the company’s gaming focus toward party games, narrative games, kids games and mainstream games, with a heavier focus on gaming on TV screens rather than on mobile devices.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Look at mainstream coverage of the Iraq War, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the genocide in Palestine.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The endorsement is the latest sign that many mainstream Democrats are going to support their party’s nominee, despite some reservations.
—New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Nothing can be done, at this point, about the dubious premise that mainstream Jews and gentiles in 2020s Los Angeles occupy separate social worlds.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Those who do have access can now take their Sora creations and upload them to mainstream social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
And Tucker Carlson has gained attention with his own programming distributed via social and digital media, Their audiences can be smaller and more disparate than the ones that come to mainstream news outlets, but in an era of cord-cutting, their niche power is not to be dismissed.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 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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