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

They are widely regarded as national heroes in their homeland. — CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026

For the first time, Zvyagintsev made a movie outside of Russia, moving Minotaur’s production to Latvia to stand in for a brutally frank portrait of his homeland at the dawn of the Ukraine war. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

The Maori tell a story about how a godwit showed their ancestors the way from their ancient homeland of Hawaiki to New Zealand, more than a thousand miles away. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

The land at where the Railyards development sits was part of Wilton Rancheria’s ancestral homeland. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 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