Definition of motherlandnext
1
as in birthplace
a place of origin for many oenophiles, France remains the motherland of fine wines

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2
as in home
the land of one's birth, residence, or citizenship all his life he longed to return to his motherland

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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 motherland In China, many laud Gu for identifying herself as Chinese and competing for the honor of the motherland. — ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026 This isn’t the first time that food from the motherland has had me in a chokehold. — Andre James, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026 In one, second-generation immigrant Gloria (Katy Correa) returns to her father’s home village in rural Guinea-Bissau for a traditional memorial ritual to mark the old man’s recent passing, and to introduce her twentysomething daughter Nour (D’Johé Kouadio) to her ancestral motherland. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026 Doja Cat‘s South African homecoming may have been brought to a halt when Hey Neighbour festival canceled its 2025 staging, but the Grammy winner will finally get to visit her motherland this spring. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for motherland
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motherland
Noun
  • There's of course the very birthplace of pizza, Italy, where some of the best pizzaiolos in the world still live and train in hubs ranging from Rome to Caserta.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026
  • For many designers across the globe, Paris, the birthplace of haute couture, has been, and is to this day, the one and only fashion mecca.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The men entered the home with guns, found no drugs and fatally shot the three residents, who lived just across the street from Norman, the records show.
    — MICHAEL GRACZYK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • To make matters worse, Leigh’s home had been invaded by musicians.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This ecosystem has been the cradle of many major innovative high-tech companies, as well as those sparking innovation and growth in other sectors.
    — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Massachusetts Bay is a beautiful place to have a breakdown, and the setting serves as a tender cradle for high school history teacher Artie Dam to have his whole world turned upside down.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The measure would have barred Switzerland from joining punitive measures against other countries unless they were imposed by the United Nations.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Second, the two countries agreed to hold an AI dialogue in the next two months, and establish a communication channel for AI incidents.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • By following the journey of a Canadian of Bulgarian origin who returns to his home country, the film invites us to look with empathy at those who choose to settle far from their homeland.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This type of maritime migration is different from the once-common arrivals of rafts and other homemade vessels that Cubans are known to use to escape their homeland, and the overloaded freighters and sailboats used by people fleeing Haiti.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Motherland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motherland. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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