- the principal or dominant course, tendency, or trend: the mainstream of American culture.
- a river having tributaries.
- regular school classes or regular schools: keeping autistic students in the mainstream.
- belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely accepted group, movement, style, etc.: mainstream Republicans;a mainstream artist;mainstream media.
- of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz falling historically between Dixieland and modern jazz; specifically, swing music.
- to send into the mainstream; cause to join the main force, group, etc.: to mainstream young people into the labor force.
- to place (students with disabilities) in regular school classes.
- to join or be placed in the mainstream.
- the main current (of a river, cultural trend, etc)
- (as modifier)
- of or relating to the style of jazz that lies between the traditional and the modern
