old country

noun, often capitalized O&C

Definition of old country

: an emigrant's country of origin especially : one in Europe —usually used with the

Examples of old country in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Through it all, the Kennedys, both personally and politically, retained a strong link to the old country. — Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, "Courtney Kennedy and Paul Hill’s enduring agony," 3 Aug. 2019 The young musician loves Broadway songs and old country musicians. — Catalina Righter, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Duet wins grand champion at Carroll’s Got Talent with Adele song," 1 Aug. 2019 Italy is now the world’s second-oldest country, after Japan. — The Economist, "Why Germany’s birth rate is rising and Italy’s isn’t," 29 June 2019 There were family connections from the old country to Grand Avenue, guaranteeing at least a starting spot in a crew, and cash in his pocket, suits on his back, and cars. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Silent soldiers of WWII and the memories they left behind," 7 June 2019 Japan is the oldest country on the planet with almost a third of its citizens over the age of 65. — Brandon Presser, Condé Nast Traveler, "This Japanese Town Has Become a Secret Destination for Architecture Buffs," 19 June 2019 The dish with pork is what reminds me more of home, like the old country home. — Ilaf Esuf, SELF, "How 10 People Cook the Foods They Grew Up With After Immigrating to the United States," 4 Jan. 2019 But with the Armenian diaspora, the dancing, which continued as a way to keep connected to the old country, became even more individualistic, Rapkievian says, noting that the dances were further influenced by the host countries. — Roger Catlin, Smithsonian, "How Armenian Dance Adapted Over Time and Place," 26 June 2018 Those who grew up in the old country weren’t taught such things in village schools. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "On Independence Day, thanking my family for coming to America," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'old country.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.