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

However, their use is restricted to Ukrainian territory and not available for operations inside mainland Russia. — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Located south of mainland Rhode Island, Block Island is a seaside destination with charm that extends beyond high season. — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026

Always free-spirited, Nelson happily retired to his home in Maui and made only occasional visits back to the mainland. — Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

This will be the first solar eclipse visible from Spain's mainland since 1905, according to the European Space Agency. — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 8 Aug. 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