mother country
Americannoun
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the country of one's birth or ancestry.
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the country of origin of settlers or colonists in a place.
noun
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the original country of colonists or settlers
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another term for fatherland
Etymology
Origin of mother country
First recorded in 1580–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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
"Before I did nursing, I applied for a job in the West End - not knowing anything about racism, because of course we came from the mother country," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2023
Things were in such a state they did not honestly believe there could be any permanent, friendly settlement with the mother country.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
