Main

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /meɪn/

Definitions

1. The central or most significant element in a situation denotes the predominant aspect that holds primary importance
2. it can also refer to the leading factor that influences a given context
3. The principal or most essential part in any scenario indicates the core factor that carries the greatest significance

Etymology: The adjective "main" is a survivor of an Old English word meaning strength. Old English "mæġen" meant "strength, power, might," and it came from a Germanic root that also gave Old Norse "megn" and Old High German "megīn," meaning "strong" or "mighty." That sense of physical force faded as the word moved into Middle English, where "mayn" and its spelling variants came to mean "principal" or "chief." The modern meaning, "most important," is a further extension of that adjective. The same Germanic root sits behind a surprising relative in modern German. "Vermögen," which now means "wealth" or "assets," descends from the same family of words for power and ability. English kept the idea of strength in the phrase "with might and main," where "main" still carries the older sense of force.

Synonyms: primary, chief, principal, dominant, central

Antonyms: secondary, minor, insignificant, subordinate, unimportant