mainland

The word “mainland” means the main continuous landmass of a country or region, as opposed to its islands. In plain terms, the primary land area of a country, distinguished from any smaller islands that belong to it.

“Mainland” is pronounced MAYN-land (/ˈmeɪnlənd/ in IPA).

Here is “mainland” used in a sentence: “They took a ferry from the island back to the mainland.”

“Mainland” is a noun.

The word “mainland” comes from Middle English. From Middle English mayne londe, equivalent to main + land.

“Mainland” is a fairly common word in modern English.

The "mainland" is the main continuous landmass of a country or region, while an "island" is a smaller piece of land surrounded by water and separate from it. People often speak of travelling "to the mainland" from an island.

A "continent" is one of Earth's large landmasses, such as Africa or Asia, while "mainland" is relative, referring to the principal landmass of a particular country or region as opposed to its offshore islands. A country's mainland is not necessarily a whole continent.

"Mainland" is usually written in lowercase as a common noun, even in phrases such as "mainland China" or "mainland Europe," where it describes the landmass rather than forming part of an official name.

"Mainland" frequently appears in phrases such as "mainland Europe," "mainland China," "mainland Britain," and simply "the mainland," typically contrasting the main landmass with nearby islands.