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
The Tamsui River is a major waterway and estuary in northern Taiwan that flows into the Taiwan Strait, the channel separating Taiwan from mainland China.
—
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Chiang did not envision the island as a new country but as an operational base for the reconquest of the mainland so that the Republic of China could be reestablished.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
The five-day Freedom Edge drills come as the same time as a major US-Japan bilateral exercise – Resolute Dragon – that has seen Washington deploy missile launchers with the range to hit mainland China to Japan.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
For instance, Tencent Holdings is one of VEU’s biggest positions, and the Chinese government has warned stock prices have gotten too high in the mainland as of late.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainland
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.
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Chiang did not envision the island as a new country but as an operational base for the reconquest of the mainland so that the Republic of China could be reestablished.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
The five-day Freedom Edge drills come as the same time as a major US-Japan bilateral exercise – Resolute Dragon – that has seen Washington deploy missile launchers with the range to hit mainland China to Japan.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
For instance, Tencent Holdings is one of VEU’s biggest positions, and the Chinese government has warned stock prices have gotten too high in the mainland as of late.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 16 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 19 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share