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
Alix Strauss, New York Times, 25 May 2024
In Warren’s estimation, Lollapalooza shined a spotlight on a powerfully potent counterculture that then became a mainstream culture.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 21 May 2024
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2024
With more mainstream recognition comes more opportunity for athletes.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024
As psychedelics move from the underground to mainstream medicine, clinicians aspiring to work in the field are inducing altered states with deep breathing.
—Ernesto Londoño Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainstream 
Noun
People tend to like mainstream fiction and mysteries.
—Alix Strauss, New York Times, 25 May 2024
In Warren’s estimation, Lollapalooza shined a spotlight on a powerfully potent counterculture that then became a mainstream culture.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 21 May 2024
Adjective
The president sought to address the ills wrought by such policies by encouraging Native Americans’ absorption into mainstream white American society.
—Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2024
With more mainstream recognition comes more opportunity for athletes.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
Verb
Video game adaptations have finally broken through to mainstream audiences with massive shows like Fallout, The Last of Us, and Knuckles.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024
As psychedelics move from the underground to mainstream medicine, clinicians aspiring to work in the field are inducing altered states with deep breathing.
—Ernesto Londoño Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainstream
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mainstream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mainstream
Cite this Entry
“Mainstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstream. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
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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