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

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
Recent Examples on the Web Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, the event is targeted to engage some 750 exhibitors from Hong Kong, mainland China and around the globe. Partner Content, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 The hit crime movie, which was released in Taiwan last October, earned a healthy $16.2 million from its mainland China debut. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2024 While Hong Kong’s internet remains largely free, initial curbs have sparked concern the tight controls of mainland China, where many Western platforms are blocked and censors routinely scrub content critical of the government, could spill over into Hong Kong. Alan Wong, Fortune Asia, 2 Mar. 2024 Unlike in the mainland U.S., the island’s public education system mainly serves low-income communities; the majority of middle-income and upper-income families use parochial or private schools. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Other great reads Closer to China than to the Japanese mainland, these idyllic islands confront the prospect of war. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 What to Do The Izu Peninsula was once an island until bridged with the mainland after an eruption. Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Hong Kong’s economy is now equivalent to about 2% of mainland China’s. Chris Lau, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 There was a fair amount of chatter on the Shanghai Composite closing above the 3,000 level for the first time since mid-December as mainland China extended its winning streak to eight days on another strong breadth/advancers beat decliners handily. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mainland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near mainland

Cite this Entry

“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on mainland

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!