mainland

noun

main·​land ˈmān-ˌland 

-lənd

: a continent or the main part of a continent as distinguished from an offshore island or sometimes from a cape or peninsula

mainlander

ˈmān-ˌlan-dər 

-lən-

noun

Synonyms

• continent
• landmass
• main

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web

The long-term ecological consequences of these human interventions may have set the scene for an explosion in mainland penguin populations. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025

The island would give the U.S. a staging area for a potential invasion of the Japan mainland. —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025

This new flight will be only the second direct flight from the mainland USA after American Airlines’ route from Miami. —Kaitlyn Rosati, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025

Huawei’s smartphone shipments in mainland China surged by 37% last year, superseding Apple in market share, according to Canalys data. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mainland

noun

main·​land ˈmān-ˌland 

-lənd

: a continent or the main part of a continent as distinguished from an offshore island or sometimes from a cape or peninsula

mainlander noun

Geographical Definition

Mainland

geographical name

Main·​land ˈmān-ˌland 

-lənd

1

honshu

2

island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands

3

island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands