mother country

1
as in birthplace
a place of origin Greece can boast to being the mother country of democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mother country Reread Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of all the rights that King George III had denied his American subjects and forced them to break from the mother country. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025 Veins branching along my skin like the waterways of my mother country. Lauren Vuong, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025 Still, many colonists had not seriously considered separating from the mother country—until a history-making pamphlet was published in the City of Brotherly Love on January 10, 1776. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025 The prime minister of Greenland called on the country to strive for greater independence from its mother country, Denmark, in a New Year’s address delivered this week, in light of the controversy surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for the U.S. to purchase the island. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mother country
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
  • And now the Buena Vista is considered the birthplace of Irish coffee.
    Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • By then, aged 29, Julinho was back in his birthplace, Sao Paulo, having spent three years with Fiorentina.
    Michael Walker, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • What those 15,000 or so fair-weather fans missed was the Broncos (4-2, 2-0) asserting themselves in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 41-25 Mountain West win over the Lobos (3-3, 0-2), who for much of the night were like a gnat the home team couldn’t swat away.
    Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Update your emergency kit and be sure to include enough food and water to last for 3 days for each person in your home.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The town is also the cradle of the popular Mexican Tecate beer and boasts remarkable natural landscapes.
    Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • As is typical for Vionic shoes, these cradle your arches, provide cushion for every step, and keep your feet stable throughout the day.
    Gabriela Garcia, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And only three of those countries are members of NATO.
    Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
  • At least since 1800, when Parson Weems published his Life of Washington, biography has been the medium through which most Americans have understood the birth of their country.
    Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!