mainstream

main-stream · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    The prevailing current of thought, influence, or activity; the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or conventional.

  2. 2.

    Belonging to or characteristic of the mainstream; conventional or widely accepted.

  3. 3.

    To bring into the mainstream; to make something part of conventional practice.

Phrases & expressions

  • go mainstream — to become widely accepted or conventional
  • mainstream media — major news outlets and publications that reach large audiences

Related words

Etymology

From English main ("principal, chief") + stream ("flow, current"). Originally used in the early 17th century to describe the main current of a river; the figurative sense of "prevailing trend" developed in the early 20th century.