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
Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
Despite decades away from the musical mainstream in the 1970s and '80s, when Wilson was struggling with psychological issues, his impact was never in question.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
The brand’s limited-edition soap using Ms. Sweeney’s bathwater reflects a purpose that rejects mainstream personal care products for a more authentic approach to masculinity.
—Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
While Covid helped mainstream the idea, longevity’s roots stretch further back.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstream
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Noun
After years of being on the fringe of mainstream women’s media,conservatism is having a cultural moment.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
Despite decades away from the musical mainstream in the 1970s and '80s, when Wilson was struggling with psychological issues, his impact was never in question.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Adjective
Americans say the annual competition is about many things: Coney Island, the Fourth of July, patriotism — but the event that kicked off the rise of mainstream competitive eating in the United States is, at its core, about publicity, the man who runs the contest said.
—Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
The brand’s limited-edition soap using Ms. Sweeney’s bathwater reflects a purpose that rejects mainstream personal care products for a more authentic approach to masculinity.
—Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
The report emphasizes the need to mainstream atrocity prevention across the United Nations system — from humanitarian action to peacekeeping to human rights.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
While Covid helped mainstream the idea, longevity’s roots stretch further back.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 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 17 Jul. 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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