plural mainstays
1
a
: a crucial or key part of something
Fish is the mainstay of their diet.
Tourism is a mainstay of the city's economy.
The mainstay of treatment for chronic hives of unknown origin is antihistamine medications.—
Mayo Clinic Health Letter
Mayo Clinic Health Letter
b
: someone or something that is a principal or reliable support or resource
Tourism is one of the city's economic mainstays.
Her immense pride in him and unquestioning support were among the few mainstays in his life.—Robert V. Remini
Robert V. Remini2
: a ship's stay (see stay entry 1 sense 1) extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast
Examples of mainstay in a Sentence
Fish is a mainstay of their diet.
My mother has always been the mainstay of our family.
Recent Examples on the Web
Pollsters note the debate between progressives and moderates has been a mainstay of election cycles among Democrats.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The following on-sale styles will become mainstays in your wardrobe through spring.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 11 Feb. 2026
For nearly all of his 11 seasons, Rob Havenstein was a Rams mainstay at right tackle.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Inbound and homegrown While tourism, hospitality, real estate and health care are mainstays of the tri-county’s economy, the holy grail in South Florida is growth in technology, either through relocations or homegrown development.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
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Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The following on-sale styles will become mainstays in your wardrobe through spring.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 11 Feb. 2026
For nearly all of his 11 seasons, Rob Havenstein was a Rams mainstay at right tackle.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Inbound and homegrown While tourism, hospitality, real estate and health care are mainstays of the tri-county’s economy, the holy grail in South Florida is growth in technology, either through relocations or homegrown development.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
Cite this Entry
“Mainstay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstay. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mainstay
noun
main·stay
-ˌstā 
1
: a large strong rope running from the maintop of a ship usually to the foot of the foremast
2
: a chief support
the mainstay of the family
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