Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

motherland

American  
[muhth-er-land] / ˈmʌð ərˌlænd /

noun

  • motherlands
    plural
  1. one's native land.

  2. the land of one's ancestors.

  3. a country considered as the origin or source of something.


motherland British  
/ ˈmʌðəˌlænd /

noun

  1. another word for fatherland

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of motherland

First recorded in 1705–15; mother 1 + land

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.

See Examples For:

"I hope she will contribute to the reunification of the motherland," he said.

From Barron's Apr. 8, 2026

The AINs are far outnumbered by the dozens of Russian-born athletes who have dodged the ban on their motherland and taken to the ice and snow under the flags of other countries.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 6, 2026

Towards the end of the TV marathon, Putin was asked a series of quickfire questions, touching on his views on friendship, religion, the motherland and love at first sight.

From BBC Dec. 19, 2025

His 2025 juggernaut, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” however, goes far beyond the usual motherland worship; the album’s greatest takeaway is to cherish not just the place, but the people you call home, too.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 18, 2025

More than anything else, Stalin vowed that no invader would ever threaten the motherland again.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

We do not stop hearing the heartbeat of our motherlands: We simply carry them with us into exile.

From New York Times Oct. 26, 2022

Then again, the piece also adds that “even the famously unemotional Japanese engage in the Landing Clap;” along with all the patriotic Russians and Germans who have journeyed back to their motherlands.

From Slate Nov. 22, 2017

At National Airport, Bhumibol, born in the environs of Harvard University, where his father studied medicine, paid tribute to his "two motherlands."

From Time Magazine Archive

Largely, in its observation of the ebb & flow of Communism's tide, the U.S. looked at the motherlands of Europe.

From Time Magazine Archive

When the Agricultural Revolution opened opportunities for the creation of crowded cities and mighty empires, people invented stories about great gods, motherlands and joint stock companies to provide the needed social links.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training