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
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.
For Lululemon, mainland China is its second-biggest market outside the Americas with 16% of total net revenue as of this summer — up from 13% last year. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, organic sales in the Asia-Pacific region fell 10 percent, versus a 19 percent decline in the prior quarter, aided by improving trends in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025 After the crew contacted local police, authorities boarded the ship via an inflatable boat in order to bring the body back to the mainland. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 There’s a low, but non-zero chance Melissa directly impacts the mainland United States, though details are still coming into focus. Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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

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