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

• continent

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web

The Hang Seng Tech index, which tracks the some of the largest mainland Chinese technology companies listed in Hong Kong, rose over 2%, lifted by Tencent Music Entertainment, which surged over 14%, a day after the company beat estimates for second-quarter revenue and profit. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025

Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, to the south of mainland Ukraine, in 2014. —Robert Birsel shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

View gallery - 5 images The Italian government has given the green light to an incredibly ambitious plan to connect Sicily and mainland Italy with the world's longest suspension bridge. —New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2025

Ferries run several times daily between mainland Bayfield and Madeline Island, which visitors can explore on rental bikes and mopeds. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025

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