motherland

noun

moth·​er·​land ˈmə-t͟hər-ˌland 

1

: mother country sense 1

2

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

… California, the motherland of tax protest …

—George J. Church

Synonyms of motherland

• 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

In one, second-generation immigrant Gloria (Katy Correa) returns to her father’s home village in rural Guinea-Bissau for a traditional memorial ritual to mark the old man’s recent passing, and to introduce her twentysomething daughter Nour (D’Johé Kouadio) to her ancestral motherland. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026

Doja Cat‘s South African homecoming may have been brought to a halt when Hey Neighbour festival canceled its 2025 staging, but the Grammy winner will finally get to visit her motherland this spring. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2026

Fitzgerald, who hopes she may still be recognized after the Constitutional Court hearing, has been studying Italian for three years and can relate to feeling a link to the motherland. —Terry Ward 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026

Fatherland implied heritage and tradition, while motherland suggests place of birth and sense of belonging. —Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026

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