1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
Greece can boast to being the mother country of democracy
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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 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
Korea, director Bong’s mother country, was our first choice in terms of where to debut the film.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
In my mother country, all the tools of propaganda would keep painful truths at bay.
—Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
Their sources of intelligence repeatedly assured British leaders that the great majority of the colonists remained loyal to the mother country.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Jan. 2025
Korea, director Bong’s mother country, was our first choice in terms of where to debut the film.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
In my mother country, all the tools of propaganda would keep painful truths at bay.
—Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
Their sources of intelligence repeatedly assured British leaders that the great majority of the colonists remained loyal to the mother country.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
-
Without one of those, a person must show a driver’s license or identification along with another document showing birthplace, such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, consular report of birth abroad or final adoption decree.—
Grace Abels,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
His birthplace, Antigo, Wis., an hour and a half northwest of Green Bay, had a fair and D. Wayne ... liked the horses.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Noun
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But then construction crews began arriving in droves less than 2 miles from her home.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
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If Prevost spent most of his first quarter-century less than 800 miles from his home, the decades that followed would take him quite a bit farther.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
When the handset was resting on the cradle, the line was closed.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
3 July 2025
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To borrow from Walt Whitman, the Mooch is out of the cradle, endlessly rocking.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
2 July 2025
Noun
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The Republican president earlier told reporters that the U.S. was soon preparing to send letters to different countries, informing them of the new tariff rate his administration would impose on them.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 June 2025
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Globally, several countries are reportedly considering nationwide bans on cellphones during school hours.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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