motherland

noun

ˈmə-t͟hər-ˌland How to pronounce motherland (audio)
Definition of motherlandnext
1
as in birthplace
a place of origin for many oenophiles, France remains the motherland of fine wines

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 motherland Knives are clutched, teeth are clenched, and a desperate Russian ex-pat yells loud enough for their long-dead ancestors to hear all the way back in the motherland. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for motherland
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motherland
  1. birthplace
  2. home
  3. cradle
  4. country
  5. homeland
Noun
  • Early guests could enjoy a taste of what was to come in the comfort of their rooms, with a menu that taps into Kyoto’s status as the birthplace of reiki.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In the city known as the birthplace of the film industry, Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper locales.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of birthplace
Noun
  • Portavadie, Argyll Situated on the banks of Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast, Portavadie is home to what is thought to be the biggest heated outdoor infinity pool in the country, said Rachel Dixon in The Guardian.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Like Bob Pollard, another classic-rock surrealist, the 43-year-old Hollywell is making the most of a surprise middle-aged career breakthrough by keeping the tape rolling in his home studio at all hours.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of home
Noun
  • The federal voucher program is the cradle of the Great American Heist.
    — Denise Forte, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026
  • While the device is in the cradle, the red battery LED blinks slowly during charging and is solid when fully charged.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of cradle
Noun
  • There is no evidence that foreign countries intentionally emptied prisons or mental institutions and sent people to the United States.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • State judges who take these cases look for proof that applicants cannot safely return to their home country, have been abused, abandoned or neglected by one or both parents, and that reunification with a parent is not possible.
    — Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • After Uruguay, Leo will travel to Argentina, the homeland of the late Pope Francis, who never visited during his 12-year papacy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Whereas widowed Lord Balfour (Charles Esten) fully expects to carry his homeland’s aristocratic traditions abroad, complete with an apparent Black slave for his hoity-toity young daughter.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of homeland

Browse Nearby Words

mothering
motherland
motherlands
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Cite this Entry

“Motherland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motherland. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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