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

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

Furthermore, the Massachusetts colony stood alone among the English colonies as well as from the mother country, whose king threatened to withdraw his royal charter should the Puritans persist in their course.

From Salon

Such hyphenated Americans, he said, felt a “degree of accepted and reasonable pride,” and had succeeded in connecting “their heritage to their mother country” and also to “where they are now” in America.

From Salon

“The Black volunteers had learned a lot about Britain at school and most considered that they were in a real sense ‘coming home’ to the mother country,” according to an exhibit at the RAF Museum.

From Seattle Times