mother country

American  

noun

1. the country of one's birth or ancestry.

2. the country of origin of settlers or colonists in a place.

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mother country British  

noun

1. the original country of colonists or settlers

2. another term for fatherland

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Etymology

Origin of mother country

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Even so, Maduro’s ouster gave her a lot of hope for her mother country.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026

For 300 years, New Spain remained the glittering jewel in the Spanish crown, enriching the mother country and shaping world history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

She said other patients have revisited their mother country to get dental care, with some of them having "severe dental problems".

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

That made them the only Asian group that felt more favorably about other Asian nations than their mother country.

From Washington Times • Jul. 19, 2023

The trade in tobacco was suffering materially due to the unrest with the mother country and the late crisis in credit.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson