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

Svalbard And The High Arctic Svalbard sits deep inside the Arctic Circle, roughly halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

China would like to annex Taiwan or reunify it with the mainland, according to the Chinese narrative. — Rakesh Kumar, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Starting in the 1990s, underground bankers set up shell companies and bank accounts in Hong Kong to circumvent mainland China’s capital controls. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026

Tensions are rising as Ceuta’s mayor accuses Madrid of failing to restore order, while migrants protest for papers and dream of reaching mainland Europe despite tight exit controls. — Antonio Sempere, Los Angeles Times, 21 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