mainland
1 Americannoun
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the principal land of a country, region, etc., as distinguished from adjacent islands or a peninsula.
the mainland of Greece.
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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.
noun
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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)
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Also called: Pomona. 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)
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a South Islanders' name for South Island
noun
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the main part of a land mass as opposed to an island or peninsula
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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
Other Word Forms
- mainlander noun
Etymology
Origin of mainland
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing lifted its 2025-26 annual net profit forecast on Thursday, buoyed by a strong performance in mainland China.
From Barron's
Almost half of mainland France was on alert for heavy snow and black ice, with lorries banned from the roads in some areas.
From BBC
All public bus services in Paris and the surrounding suburbs were also suspended because of icy roads, with almost half of the country's mainland on alert for heavy snow and black ice.
From Barron's
The igloo appeared as so-called "snow rollers" were being created in fields across the west mainland of Orkney.
From BBC
The airport in Aden on the mainland has been functional since Sunday after disruptions that lasted for several days.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
