chiefly
/ˈtʃiːf.li/adverb, adjective
chiefly is spelled C-H-I-E-F-L-Y: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,687th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, chiefly means “Especially or primarily; above all” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in chiefly?
| Letters | 7: C-H-I-E-F-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.6 times per million words; the 16,687th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is chiefly?
Chiefly appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,687th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce chiefly?
- UK /ˈtʃiːf.li/
Chiefly has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-chiefly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of chiefly
- more chiefly comparative
- most chiefly superlative
- chieflier comparative
- chiefliest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chiefly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
Especially or primarily; above all.
Their relationship is chiefly professional.
- 2
Mainly or principally; almost entirely.
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to a chief.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate chiefly?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of chiefly: FIP.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chiefly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | mayormente, máxime |
| French | surtout |
| German | hauptsächlich |
| Portuguese | principalmente, especialmente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does chiefly come from?
From Middle English chefly; equivalent to chief + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).