mainland

noun

main·​land ˈmān-ˌland How to pronounce mainland (audio)
-lənd
Synonyms of mainlandnext
: 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 How to pronounce mainland (audio)
-lən-
noun

Synonyms of mainland

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Examples of mainland in a Sentence

the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Larak Island is an island in the strait approximately 20 miles south of the Iranian mainland. — James Powel, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Its network at mid-year covered 8,309 Miniso stores, including 4,665 in the Chinese mainland and 3,644 in overseas markets. — Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 While most of its stores are in mainland China, the company had 4,378 stores overseas as of end-June and has been expanding into new markets, including central Asia and the Americas. — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Two police unions, the Sindicato Unificado de Policia and Confederacion Espanola de Policia, requested extensive reinforcements from the mainland. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainland

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainland was in the 14th century

Rhymes for mainland

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Browse Nearby Words

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mainland
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Cite this Entry

“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainland. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mainland

noun
main·​land ˈmān-ˌland How to pronounce mainland (audio)
-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 How to pronounce Mainland (audio)
-lənd
1
honshu
2
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Orkney Islands
3
island in northern Scotland; largest of the Shetland Islands

More from Merriam-Webster on mainland

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mainland

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