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 of mainland

• continent

Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

Recent Examples on the Web

The gaslighting continues as some MAGA leaders say that boots on the ground on Kharg Island would not actually be boots on the ground because these troops wouldn’t be on mainland Iran. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026

But the version of WeChat used in mainland China, known as Weixin, is less cooperative, Jackson said. —Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2026

According to MassWildlife, coyotes can be found in every city and town in mainland Massachusetts, with a state population estimated at 9,500 to 11,500. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026

The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026

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