もっぱら

も

っ

ぱ

ら

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

usually written using kana alone

Emphasizes that something is done entirely or exclusively in a certain way, without other elements.

彼かれはもっぱら研けん究きゅうに専せん念ねんしている。

He devotes himself entirely to his research.

この店みせはもっぱら地じ元もとの食しょく材ざいを使つかっている。

This shop uses exclusively local ingredients.

2

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

usually written using kana alone

Indicates that something is the primary or most common case, though not necessarily exclusive.

主おもにN3sense 2
主に is the neutral, everyday word for 'mainly', while 専ら stresses near-total exclusivity or single-minded focus.
ひたすらN1sense 1
ひたすら emphasizes single-minded devotion to one action, whereas 専ら can describe exclusivity in either action or state without implying effort.
ひとえにN1
専ら means 'exclusively' or 'mainly' about an activity or focus, whereas ひとえに stresses that a single cause or reason is wholly responsible for something.

専せん門もんN5
専門 is a noun meaning 'specialty/area of expertise', while 専ら is an adverb meaning 'exclusively/mostly'; they share the kanji 専 but differ in part of speech and meaning.

もっぱらUsage77%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 専ら is also used but less common.
専らUsage23%
- もっぱら
  Kanji form; less common than kana but still encountered.

Derived from the kanji 専 (exclusively, solely) with the adverbial suffix ら. The reading もっぱら is a sound shift from もはら, which is now obsolete.

Lately he's been spending his time almost exclusively on writing novels.

もはら

out-dated reading

もはら

out-dated reading