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

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

Irie Nights invites the city out to dance, eat, and enjoy the best sounds from the islands to the motherland. —Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025

That brings us to this space of transformation, the vision of growth and connecting to the motherland. —Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

While their Afrocentric paeans to the motherland signal a commitment to Black uplift, their loosey-goosey grooves—plundered from records by Mandrill, Manu Dibango, and Kool & the Gang, and frequently scratched straight from turntables to tape—drink from a deep well of pure pleasure. —Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2025

For our family, from the perspective of the motherland, a stronger China means we won't be bullied anymore. —Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for motherland

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

Kids Definition

motherland

noun

moth·​er·​land ˈmət͟h-ər-ˌland 

: fatherland