Etymology

chiefly

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Today it means: Especially or primarily; above all. Full definition →

Middle English chefly
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chiefly · adverb1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromchefly
  2. English todaychiefly

From Middle English chefly; equivalent to chief + -ly (adverbial suffix).

chiefly · adjective2

From chief + -ly (adjectival suffix). Piecewise doublet of chefly and headly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.