1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
for many oenophiles, France remains the motherland of fine wines
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motherland
Fitzgerald, who hopes she may still be recognized after the Constitutional Court hearing, has been studying Italian for three years and can relate to feeling a link to the motherland.
—
Terry Ward 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Fatherland implied heritage and tradition, while motherland suggests place of birth and sense of belonging.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Despite a 1689 treaty that placed the Sino-Russian boundary some seven hundred kilometers north of the Amur River, the unequal treaties of 1858 and 1860 drew the Russians right to the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, the edge of the Qing motherland.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Irie Nights invites the city out to dance, eat, and enjoy the best sounds from the islands to the motherland.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motherland
Terry Ward 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Fatherland implied heritage and tradition, while motherland suggests place of birth and sense of belonging.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Despite a 1689 treaty that placed the Sino-Russian boundary some seven hundred kilometers north of the Amur River, the unequal treaties of 1858 and 1860 drew the Russians right to the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, the edge of the Qing motherland.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
Irie Nights invites the city out to dance, eat, and enjoy the best sounds from the islands to the motherland.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motherland
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motherland
Noun
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Corsica is often relegated to a cruise stop, particularly in Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace of Ajaccio on the western coast.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Although China has a strong claim, many tend to cite ancient Greece as the birthplace of history as a discipline.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe the bright lights of a win-or-go-home playoff game proved too big of a moment for a young, inexperienced Hawks team.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
The home team has won every game in this series, which is a good sign for Toronto in Game 6.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
For audiences expecting a cradle-to-grave reckoning, that cutoff can feel abrupt.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Still, among the more than 100 billion people who have walked the Earth in human history, the Artemis II astronauts have ventured farther from the cradle than anyone else.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though Baudelaire was influenced by Poe’s macabre imagination, decadence never developed its own school in nineteenth-century America, then still a young country.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Want to learn more about faraway countries on free embassy tours?—
Fritz Hahn,
Washington Post,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Her inspiration comes from her homeland of Iran and her cultural identity.—
Sara Donchey,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Her arrival was one of the biggest surprises of the NWSL offseason, signaling a historic moment for both the young star and her homeland.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motherland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motherland. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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