Word: Mainland

Pronunciation

/ˈmeɪnlænd/

Definitions

• Noun: The main or principal island of a group, especially one that is much larger than any nearby islands, or the part of a country that is not on an island but constitutes the majority of its landmass, excluding smaller islands and offshore territories.

  • Example Sentence: “After a week on the small island, they finally returned to the mainland.”

• Adjective: Relating to or denoting the main island or contiguous part of a country, as opposed to islands or overseas territories.

  • Example Sentence: “Mainland China refers to all the regions under the jurisdiction of China except Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.”

Phrases

• “Cross over to the mainland”: To go from an island to the main part of a country.
• “The mainland economy”: Refers to the economy of the main part of a country, not counting its insular dependencies or overseas territories.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “From the coastal town, it’s just a short ferry ride to the mainland.”
• Adjective: “There are cultural differences between the island communities and the mainland cities.”

Synonyms

• Continent (in some contexts)
• Motherland (figuratively)
• Heartland (depending on context)
• Inland (to contrast with coastal areas)