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
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Maryland Civil Rights Commission could mirror Colorado’s, bringing baseless cases against religious schools that refuse to acquiesce to mainstream culture, especially beliefs on sexuality and gender.
—Stephen Mitchell, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The angular, steel Cybertruck, which Tesla started delivering to customers in late 2023, has not become a mainstream success.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
This is the wing of the organization most inclined to mainstream compromise.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
The word counterculture generally refers to any movement that strives to achieve ideals counter to those of mainstream society.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The Maryland Civil Rights Commission could mirror Colorado’s, bringing baseless cases against religious schools that refuse to acquiesce to mainstream culture, especially beliefs on sexuality and gender.
—Stephen Mitchell, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Amanda Fischer, former Securities and Exchange Commission chief of staff who is now the policy director at advocacy group Better Markets, said prediction market sites Kalshi and Polymarket are increasingly becoming mainstream by using the playbook harnessed by the cryptocurrency industry.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The angular, steel Cybertruck, which Tesla started delivering to customers in late 2023, has not become a mainstream success.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
New-age has widened to a big-tent genre, evolving from heady subculture to mainstream schlock to avant-garde fascination, and now to chill, low-stakes record collector music.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
This is the wing of the organization most inclined to mainstream compromise.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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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