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View synonyms for mainland

mainland

1

[ meyn-land, -luhnd ]

noun

  1. the principal land of a country, region, etc., as distinguished from adjacent islands or a peninsula:

    the mainland of Greece.

  2. any part of or all of the continental United States or conterminous United States, especially from the perspective of someone in a geographically detached U.S. state or territory, such as Hawaii or Guam:

    I’m not sure where on the mainland Jasmine went to college, but it may have been Milwaukee.



Mainland

2

[ meyn-land, -luhnd ]

noun

  1. the largest of the Shetland Islands. About 200 sq. mi. (520 sq. km).

mainland

1

/ ˈmeɪnlənd /

noun

  1. the main part of a land mass as opposed to an island or peninsula
  2. the mainland
    a particular landmass as viewed from a nearby island with which it has close links, such as Great Britain as viewed from Northern Ireland or continental Australia as viewed from Tasmania
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Mainland

2

/ ˈmeɪnlənd /

noun

  1. an island off N Scotland: the largest of the Shetland Islands. Chief town: Lerwick. Pop: 17 550 (2001). Area: about 583 sq km (225 sq miles)
  2. Also calledPomona an island off N Scotland: the largest of the Orkney Islands. Chief town: Kirkwall. Pop: 15 315 (2001). Area: 492 sq km (190 sq miles)
  3. the Mainland
    a South Islanders' name for South Island
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈmainlander, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of mainland1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; main 1, land
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Example Sentences

In 2019, Hong Kong erupted in months-long protests as hundreds of thousands marched against a hugely controversial extradition bill that would allow Hongkongers to be sent to mainland China to face trial.

From BBC

The morning after the ceremony, as they waved off guests who were returning to the mainland, the crew saluted the newlyweds with a toot of the horn.

From BBC

Tasmania currently lies about 240 kilometres off the southeast Australian coast, separated from the Australian mainland by the Bass Strait.

"On mainland Scotland people think that's quite odd, but it's a normal thing across continental Europe."

From BBC

More than 41,000 years ago, humans traversed a strip of land that once joined the mainland of Australia to what is today the island of Tasmania, called Lutruwita by its Indigenous inhabitants today.

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