homeland

noun

home·​land ˈhōm-ˌland 

also -lənd

plural homelands

1

: the native land or country of one's parents, one's ancestors, or oneself

our ancestral homeland

hadn't seen their homeland since they were children

2

: a state or area designated as a state for a people of a particular national, cultural, or racial origin

They are fighting for an independent homeland.

the U.S. Department of Homeland Security [=a department in the U.S. government that is responsible for the safety of the U.S. and its citizens]

specifically, in South African history : any of several all-Black enclaves that had a limited degree of self-government : bantustan

Synonyms of homeland

• home
• country

Examples of homeland in a Sentence

He returned to his homeland for the first time in many years.

The rebels are fighting for an independent homeland.

Recent Examples on the Web

Towns was born in New Jersey but has played international basketball for the Dominican Republic — his late mother's homeland. —CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns was born in New Jersey but has played international basketball for the Dominican Republic — his late mother’s homeland. —Staff, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Broader operational impact Beyond defense use, ULTRA Turbo targets homeland security, civil, and commercial operations. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026

Three years in the making, the project grew out of Kotevska’s research on changes to the migratory and eating habits of her homeland’s national bird. —Alissa Simon, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for homeland

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids Definition

homeland

noun

home·​land ˈhōm-ˌland 

: native land : fatherland