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mainland

mainland

99 2.7
The main area of land in a country or continent, not the islands
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪnˌlænd/
: tierra firme
  • You've got a bright future, but it's on the mainland, not here.
  • mainland China
  • mainland and Taiwan
  • the Chinese mainland

You know, you went deep into the United States mainland to to go to Notre Dame.

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Examples

  • But I recently was on a big ferry boat from Sicily to the mainland of Italy.

  • Relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have become extremely tense since July of this year.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We need to get back to the mainland.

  • Go back to the mainland.

  • Of course, back on the mainland, today is Election Day in Alabama.

  • But I think healthcare generally in the mainland still has a considerable way to go.

  • Rather different from the vegetation on the mainland, which is more classical rain forest.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • A further argument against expanding trade and investment with the mainland is political in nature.

    Academic text (1991)
  • He must have gone to the mainland for news.

  • On our trip, we took a ferry to the mainland after spending the week on the island.

Synonyms

land mass
vsmainland
13 2.8

A large area of land that is not separated by water

means the main part of a country or continent rather than its islands
landmass
vsmainland
6 3.4

A large connected area of land that is part of the Earth

refers specifically to a country's or continent's principal land excluding islands

Compounds

The part of China the central government runs, not including Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan

How Big

mainland
99 2.7
island
57 3.7
cayo
1 9.8
islet
6 6.8
sandbar
  • US
8 2.8

Surface Forms

mainland singular
mainlands plural

Morphology

mainland = main + land (transparent) = main + land

The meaning is directly the combination of 'main' (principal) + 'land' (landmass), which B1 learners can readily infer.

Etymology

Mainland combines main ('most important') and land. So it means the main part of a country or continent, the large land that is not an island.