mainland

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

mainlander

2 of 2

noun (2)

main·​land·​er -də(r) 

plural -s

: a dweller on the mainland

any mainlander—Hawaii's term for a resident of continental United States—will find its stores … stocked with the latest mainland fashions

—Jack Teehan

Synonyms of mainland

Noun (1)

• continent

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Student crackdown Jiang’s rise to the top began amid the tumult of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, which were brutally crushed by Chinese troops in what remains one of the most sensitive political taboos in mainland China. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Jutting off the coastline like an upside-down ice skate, the Point Reyes National Seashore is separated from the mainland by the San Andreas fault, which runs like a skate’s blade edge separating the Pacific and North American plates. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Many attempt to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave on Morocco’s northern coast, hoping eventually to make their way to mainland Spain and better economic opportunities. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Another Osceola turnover fumble recovered by mainland at the 36. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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