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
Examples of mainland in a Sentence
the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
Recent Examples on the Web
On the southern tip of the Isle of Skye, where the mainland lies just across a narrow strait, the weather can turn in minutes.
—
Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The method was also widely used in mainland China until government regulations started calling for steel and aluminum scaffolds, in keeping with international norms, in the 1990s.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Nea Styra is a small coastal town on the southern tip of Evia, Greece's second-largest island, known for its beaches, fishing harbor, and ferry link to the mainland town of Agia Marina in Attica.
—Shane Croucher
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Though no roads connect the islands (each is reached from the mainland by road or ferry), there's a lot to explore between 10 communities, six sandy beaches, and multiple creeks and salt marshes.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainland
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Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The method was also widely used in mainland China until government regulations started calling for steel and aluminum scaffolds, in keeping with international norms, in the 1990s.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Nea Styra is a small coastal town on the southern tip of Evia, Greece's second-largest island, known for its beaches, fishing harbor, and ferry link to the mainland town of Agia Marina in Attica.
—Shane Croucher
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Though no roads connect the islands (each is reached from the mainland by road or ferry), there's a lot to explore between 10 communities, six sandy beaches, and multiple creeks and salt marshes.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainland
Cite this Entry
“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
2
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands
3
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands
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