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

But other players in the sector are already traded in Hong Kong and mainland China. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 July 2026

Paramedics flew the woman to a mainland hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, said sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 July 2026

The Catalan conquistador led the first mainland expedition of Europeans up and down what’s now California. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Spanning the southeastern coast of Mississippi and into the panhandle of Florida, the Gulf Islands National Seashore encompasses both parts of the mainland as well as the islands. — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 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