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
Examples of mainland in a Sentence
the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
Recent Examples on the Web
As Hurricane Erin crept toward the U.S. mainland on Wednesday, Aug. 20, a North Carolina man captured the storm's powerful waves battering the state's coastline.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The nearly universal use of electronic payments has facilitated use of the e-CNY in the Chinese mainland, with some cities using it to pay wages of civil servants.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
Direct flights from India to mainland China , which have been suspended since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, are set to resume.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the storm’s eye may never come within 300 miles of the mainland U.S., most of the East Coast—from Miami to Maine—is under a moderate or high risk of rip currents.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainland
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.
Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The nearly universal use of electronic payments has facilitated use of the e-CNY in the Chinese mainland, with some cities using it to pay wages of civil servants.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
Direct flights from India to mainland China , which have been suspended since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, are set to resume.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
Although the storm’s eye may never come within 300 miles of the mainland U.S., most of the East Coast—from Miami to Maine—is under a moderate or high risk of rip currents.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainland
Cite this Entry
“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
2
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands
3
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share