mainstream C1 Topic:Describing Qualities US /meɪn.stɹiːm/ See IPA manual Freq #13384 Meanings 1 adj Accepted by or appealing to most people, rather than a small group. The band's new album gave them mainstream success at last. 2 noun The ideas, activities, or attitudes that are shared by most people. Once a fringe idea, recycling is now part of the mainstream. 3 verb To make something become normal or widely accepted. Streaming services helped mainstream foreign-language films. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · accepted by or appealing to... commonconventionalusualwidespread ↔ Opposites alternativefringenonmainstream Word family Forms mainstreamedmainstreamingmainstreams Derived forms antimainstreamblackstreamfakestreamgaystreamlamestreammainsleazemainstreamablemainstreamermainstreamingmainstreamishmainstreamismmainstreamist Etymology AI details From main + stream. Cognate with Icelandic meginstraumur (“a main current, mainstream”). Topics Describing Qualities Cause, Change & Process External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # mainstream **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj, noun, verb **IPA (US):** /meɪn.stɹiːm/ **Frequency rank:** 13384 ## Meanings 1. Accepted by or appealing to most people, rather than a small group. 2. The ideas, activities, or attitudes that are shared by most people. 3. To make something become normal or widely accepted. ## Examples - The band's new album gave them mainstream success at last. - Once a fringe idea, recycling is now part of the mainstream. - Streaming services helped mainstream foreign-language films. ## Antonyms - alternative - fringe - nonmainstream ## Derived Forms - antimainstream - blackstream - fakestream - gaystream - lamestream - mainsleaze - mainstreamable - mainstreamer - mainstreaming - mainstreamish - mainstreamism - mainstreamist ## Etymology From main + stream. Cognate with Icelandic meginstraumur (“a main current, mainstream”). ## AI Etymology Mainstream comes from main + stream. Cognate with Icelandic meginstraumur (“a main current, mainstream”). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as antimainstream, blackstream, fakestream, and gaystream. In present use it covers accepted by or appealing to most people, rather than a small group, the ideas, activities, or attitudes that are shared by most people, and to make something become normal or widely accepted. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Cause, Change & Process markdown