WordGarden.iomainland
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈeɪnlənd/
US
- /ˈmeɪnˌlænd/
Meanings
Noun
the main land area of a country or territory, not its islands
Adjective
located in or relating to the main land area rather than islands
Beyond the definition
Imagine a country with many islands, such as Japan, Greece, or the Philippines. The mainland is the large, main part of that country, the piece of land that is not one of the smaller islands around it. It is often the place where most people live and where many of the biggest cities are found. The word can also mean the main continuous part of a continent or region, as opposed to islands off the coast. If you are standing on a small island and looking across the water, the mainland is the larger stretch of land beyond it, the place where the rest of the country often seems to begin.
The word "mainland" refers to the principal landmass of a country or region: the large, continuous area that is not an island. It is especially useful when talking about places with many islands or with territories separated by the sea. For example, someone living on a small island off the coast of China might speak about traveling to the mainland, meaning the main continental part of the country.
The idea of a mainland often suggests the central, larger part of a place. A news report might compare life on the mainland with life on nearby islands, pointing out differences in travel, trade, population, or daily life. In many contexts, the mainland is where government, business, and transportation are more concentrated, though that is not always the case.
Whether you are talking about a nation made up of islands, a coastal region, or a broader geographic area, "mainland" points to the main body of land rather than the islands around it. It helps people describe physical geography clearly, but it can also carry an everyday sense of distance and connection, especially for people who travel back and forth between islands and the larger land across the water.
Examples
- 1
Ferry travel
The ferry leaves the island for the mainland every morning.
- 2
Island prices
Food is more expensive here than on the mainland.
- 3
College
Many students move to the mainland for college.
- 4
Communication outage
The storm cut off phone service between the island and the mainland.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Mainland Europe
Prices are different in mainland Europe than in the UK.
- Phrasemainland Europe
the part of Europe connected by land, not islands such as Britain or Ireland
- 6
Mainland China
The company opened three new stores in mainland China last year.
- Cautionmainland China
China excluding Hong Kong and Macau; whether Taiwan is included depends on the speaker and context
- 7
US geography
Flights from Hawaii to the mainland were delayed.
- Usagethe mainland
in the US, often the connected part of the country, not Hawaii
See also
Similar
- main body of land
- landmass
Shades of meaning
- the continent
- continental
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- on the mainland
- the mainland coast
- mainland Europe
- mainland China
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- mainlandnounadjective