mainstream
Where majority swims
Mainstream refers to the dominant current of thought, taste, or activity in a culture—what most people accept, consume, or practice.
Something mainstream has broad appeal and wide acceptance: mainstream media, mainstream politics.
The term often carries a hint of conventionality, contrasted with alternative, underground, or niche movements: The band went mainstream after their third album.
To mainstream something is to bring it into general acceptance: The internet mainstreamed behaviors that were once fringe.
Adherence to norms
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- normativeSetting behavioral standards
- standardLevel of quality accepted
- acceptedFormally agreed to
established · traditional · customary · expected · typical · ordinary · commonplace · average
Enormously successful entertainment property
- bestsellerHigh-volume publication
- chart-toppingRanking first in sales
- hitSuccessful contact or strike
- mass-marketFor widespread commercial sale
commercial · viral · trending · buzzworthy · celebrity · top-rated · crowd-pleaser · box-office
Most common or accepted
- ubiquitousPresent in all places
- pervasivePresent throughout, inescapable
- widespreadExisting across many places
- prevalentCommonly occurring, widespread
universal · omnipresent · broad · extensive · far-reaching · saturating · encompassing · hegemonic
Directed flow of charge
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- channelPassage for transmission
- watercourseChannel for flowing liquid
- tributaryStream entering larger river
confluence · rapids · midstream · downstream · navigation · course
Formally approved or penalized
- endorsedOfficially approved or supported
- approvedOfficially accepted or permitted
- recognizedPerceived as familiar
- officialAuthority-sanctioned person or status
accredited · validated · certified · authorized · ratified · authenticated · establishment · gatekeeping
conformity
Adherence to norms
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- normativeSetting behavioral standards
- standardLevel of quality accepted
accepted · established · traditional · customary · expected · typical · ordinary · commonplace · average · routine
blockbuster
Enormously successful entertainment property
- bestsellerHigh-volume publication
- chart-toppingRanking first in sales
- hitSuccessful contact or strike
mass-market · commercial · viral · trending · buzzworthy · celebrity · top-rated · crowd-pleaser · box-office · prime-time
prevailing
Most common or accepted
- ubiquitousPresent in all places
- pervasivePresent throughout, inescapable
- widespreadExisting across many places
prevalent · universal · omnipresent · broad · extensive · far-reaching · saturating · encompassing · hegemonic · majority
current
Directed flow of charge
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- channelPassage for transmission
- watercourseChannel for flowing liquid
tributary · confluence · rapids · midstream · downstream · navigation · course
sanctioned
Formally approved or penalized
- endorsedOfficially approved or supported
- approvedOfficially accepted or permitted
- recognizedPerceived as familiar
official · accredited · validated · certified · authorized · ratified · authenticated · establishment · gatekeeping · canon
- genresaction, comedy, detective fiction, fantasy, horror
- HollywoodHollywood, Tinseltown, Hollywood Sign, silver screen, movie stars
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- cultural conceptstrends, movements, icons, fads, phenomena
- influencesparents, mentors, teachers, friends, peers
- Popularitypopular, fame, famous, trending, viral
mainstreamfringe
Outermost edge or margin
marginal · underground · peripheral · counter-culture · alternative
mainstreamunconventional
Departing from standard practice
unorthodox · heterodox · nonconformist · countercultural · deviant
- mainstream appeal
- mainstream mediaDominant news establishment
- gone mainstream
- mainstream popWidely popular commercial music
- mainstream hitCommercially successful song
- mainstream audienceAverage popular consumer base