mother country

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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
  • After decades of Russian and European chess dominance, the spotlight is on India, the likely birthplace of the ancient game.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 June 2025
  • Bruce Springsteen is performing his first-ever shows in Liverpool, England — the birthplace of the Beatles — this week, so naturally Paul McCartney came out to join the E Street Band for a couple of songs Saturday.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country, as well as being an avid fan of sailing.
    Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Reaction to President Donald Trump's new travel bans was swift in South Florida, home to what are believed to be the largest Venezuelan, Haitian and Cuban communities in the United States.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • The president was undeterred, and the flights resumed the very next day, filled with cardboard file boxes that had been repurposed into makeshift cradles.
    Jim Axelrod June 9, CBS News, 9 June 2025
  • The lifestyle appeal of the M2 Pro is instantly obvious in its eye-catching design, which sees a roughly cubic, tan-colored body attached to a crisp metallic supporting cradle within which the projector can be rotated to get its images appearing at the right height on your wall or screen.
    John Archer, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • My country, Nigeria, was long caught in the throes of statism—and crisis after crisis followed.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
  • The two countries did agree on exchanging bodies of soldiers killed in action.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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