The work is mostly finished.
参加者はあらかた集まった。
The participants have mostly gathered.
Used for rough numerical or quantitative estimates; less common than the 'mostly' sense.
費用はあらかた10万円くらいだ。
The cost is roughly about 100,000 yen.
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 粗 (ara, 'rough') and 方 (kata, 'direction' or 'side'), originally meaning 'roughly' or 'in a rough manner'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji reflect the approximate and partial nuance.