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

When Spain absorbed Portugal in 1580, Madrid also gained control over the Portuguese colony of Macau, its first real toehold on the Chinese mainland. —Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025

The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls. —Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025

In 2003, Lee established Translatio in Shanghai, forging partnerships with international fashion brands to develop their retail footprint in mainland China. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025

The deal covers worldwide rights outside of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, with the film set for theatrical release in 2026. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Oct. 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