motherland

noun

moth·​er·​land ˈmə-t͟hər-ˌland 

1

: mother country sense 1

2

: a country regarded as a place of origin (as of an idea or a movement)

Synonyms

• birthplace
• cradle
• home
• mother country

Examples of motherland in a Sentence

for many oenophiles, France remains the motherland of fine wines

all his life he longed to return to his motherland

Recent Examples on the Web

Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West. —Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024

But when the conquering Romans march on Numidia, the simple farmer is dragged into a war with the motherland. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2024

Newsweek has mapped tongues from other motherlands, and German comes third. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

At the core of the book are the complex tensions between the imperatives of assimilation and maintaining one’s cultural identity—epitomized by Arana’s own deep loyalties toward both her motherland, Peru, and her adopted home, the United States. —Marie Arana, Foreign Affairs, 20 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

motherland

noun

moth·​er·​land ˈmət͟h-ər-ˌland 

: fatherland