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

Today marks exactly one year until millions of people experience one of the most anticipated astronomical events of modern times — and the countdown comes just 10 days before mainland Europe’s first total solar eclipse since 1999. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Ceuta and its sister city Melilla are not part of the European Union's Schengen area, and those traveling to mainland Europe must go through border checks upon arrival. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Manufacturing meth on-island is pretty much impossible — there aren’t many places to hide a meth lab — so most meth that reaches Hawaii comes from the mainland, as is the case with most products consumed on the islands. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

His daughters earned Division I college softball scholarships, and the day job loading and unloading luggage allowed Agbayani to fly his kids to the mainland more frequently for exposure. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 2 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