1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
Greece can boast to being the mother country of democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in home
the land of one's birth, residence, or citizenship
even after decades of living in their adopted nation, they maintained a strong attachment to the mother country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mother country
The world premiere by Burlingame playwright Geetha Reddy starts off as an HR dispute about sexism at an aerospace company, only to tap into centuries-old resentments dating from Indian immigrant employees’ mother country.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Feb. 2026
Even so, Maduro’s ouster gave her a lot of hope for her mother country.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Rich in mood and gripping in narrative, the book starred a protagonist who stood at odds with his mother country and the political apparatus consuming it.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Feb. 2026
Even so, Maduro’s ouster gave her a lot of hope for her mother country.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Rich in mood and gripping in narrative, the book starred a protagonist who stood at odds with his mother country and the political apparatus consuming it.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
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Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve play a Romanian-Norwegian couple who relocate with their kids to the mother’s birthplace in remote Norway.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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Italy is widely considered the birthplace of slow travel because of the Slow Food movement, which began in Rome in the 1980s to preserve regional culinary traditions and local economies against fast food.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
Noun
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After Arakawa and Hackman were found dead, officials conducted an environmental assessment of their home that found evidence of rodents and rodent feces around their property, according to a copy of the report obtained by USA TODAY in April 2025.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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The ball bounced behind him to Taylor Walls, but the Rays shortstop couldn’t field it cleanly, either, allowing Story to break for home and beat the throw.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Beale Street in Memphis is best known for the blues, but the city was also the cradle of soul and rock ‘n’ roll and is one of the best places on the planet to catch live tunes today.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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Building a cradle-to-career education system.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
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There are many ways for a country to become unfree.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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The Republican president said the ceasefire includes a suspension of all kinetic activity and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners by each country.—
Darlene Superville,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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