mainland

noun

main·land | \ ˈmān-ˌland

, -lənd \

Definition of mainland

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a continent or the main part of a continent as distinguished from an offshore island or sometimes from a cape or peninsula

Mainland

geographical name

Main·land | \ ˈmān-ˌland

, -lənd \

Definition of Mainland (Entry 2 of 2)

1 honshu

2 island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands

3 island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands

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Synonyms for mainland

Synonyms: Noun

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

Noun the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Efforts to nudge tourists — most of whom come from the mainland U.S. — into complying don't always work. — Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, "Puerto Rico Imposes $100 Fines for Tourists Who Violate Face Mask Rules," 1 Apr. 2021 The country’s previous long-range missiles demonstrated a potential ability to reach deep into the U.S. mainland during flight tests in 2017. — Time, "North Korea Holds a Huge Military Parade as Kim Vows to Expand His Nuclear Program," 15 Jan. 2021 Its previous long-range missiles demonstrated a potential ability to reach deep inside the U.S. mainland during flight tests in 2017. — NBC News, "North Korea's Kim showcases submarine-launched ballistic missiles during military parade," 15 Jan. 2021 Elena went on to raise two daughters on the island before moving to the mainland's seaside city of Zadar. — Timothy O'grady, Condé Nast Traveler, "Sailing Croatia's Quiet Kornati Islands, a Place of Beauty and Resilience," 26 Mar. 2021 Whether missiles traveled 450 kilometers or 600 kilometers, that’s more than enough range to hit any corner of mainland South Korea. — Fox News, "North Korean missiles getting more agile, evasive: experts," 26 Mar. 2021 The ballistic missiles Pyongyang tested Thursday -- the second weapons test in less than a week -- were likely of a shorter range variety, unlikely to pose a danger to the US mainland, analysts said. — Brad Lendon, CNN, "How dangerous is North Korea's military arsenal right now?," 25 Mar. 2021 No bridges connect the mainland to the islands, only four of which can be reached by ferry. — Jennifer Flowers, WSJ, "The Sweetest Summer Vacation: Sailing Around the San Juans," 25 Mar. 2021 If the Cactoblastis were to spread to the Mexico mainland, the damage would be enormous. — Longreads, "Why Bumblebees Love Cats and Other Beautiful Relationships," 23 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mainland.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.