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 of mainland

• continent

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web

Forty-one per cent of the fleet was at the North American mainland in the summer of 1778, thirteen per cent in the summer of 1780, and eleven per cent in the summer of 1781. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

The city’s connections to both mainland China and the rest of Asia can facilitate these transfers of knowledge and policy insights. —Brian Wong, Fortune, 3 May 2026

The shops and restaurants commonly associated with Pawleys are actually located on the mainland, which is connected to the island by two causeways. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026

The American startup’s chatbots are banned in mainland China, and Goldman’s move suggests US AI firms could increasingly treat Hong Kong as off-limits as well, the Financial Times reported. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mainland

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

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