mainland

noun

main·​land ˈmān-ˌland How to pronounce mainland (audio)
-lənd
Synonyms of mainlandnext
: a continent or the main part of a continent as distinguished from an offshore island or sometimes from a cape or peninsula
mainlander noun

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Those hardware stocks tend to trade on the mainland Chinese stock market, known as A shares, rather than the Hong Kong stock exchange. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 May 2026 As the violence dragged on, at least 15 people were killed, hundreds were injured, and more than two thousand were arrested, and pro-independence leaders were transferred to prisons in mainland France. Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 Accessible only by ferry from Swan Quarter, Cedar Island, or Hatteras, the island (and village of the same name) feels worlds away from the mainland. Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026 Lions Bays Search and Rescue led the initial search for McLean as a missing person, only to be superseded by the IHIT investigators active in RCMP regions in the province’s lower mainland. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainland

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainland was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 26 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

mainland

noun
main·​land ˈmān-ˌland How to pronounce mainland (audio)
-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 How to pronounce Mainland (audio)
-lənd
1
2
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands
3
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands

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