The mainland is the main body of land, as against its islands. Travel to the mainland, mainland Europe, the mainland coast.
Which land counts as the mainland is a matter of viewpoint and often of politics — islanders say the mainland and mean somewhere they may not think of as more important. Mainland Europe means the continent as seen from Britain.
1nounmainlandThe main body of land, as against its islands.
“The island is connected to the mainland by a ferry that runs twice a day.”
mainland is a landmass.
Main plus land, from main in the old sense of chief or principal, as in the main road.
Middle English
mayne londe
English, today
mainland
From Middle English mayne londe; equivalent to main + land. Compare Scots mayn-land, magan-land, madin-land (“mainland”), Faroese meginland (“mainland”), Icelandic meginland (“mainland”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA