1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
Greece can boast to being the mother country of democracy
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2
as in home
the land of one's birth, residence, or citizenship
even after decades of living in their adopted nation, they maintained a strong attachment to the mother country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mother country
While July 4 is not a holiday in the United Kingdom, the long history of friendship as well as alliance between our two nations has removed any lingering friction from the successful efforts of colonials across the Atlantic to break away from the mother country.
—
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Even so, Maduro’s ouster gave her a lot of hope for her mother country.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Rich in mood and gripping in narrative, the book starred a protagonist who stood at odds with his mother country and the political apparatus consuming it.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Even so, Maduro’s ouster gave her a lot of hope for her mother country.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Rich in mood and gripping in narrative, the book starred a protagonist who stood at odds with his mother country and the political apparatus consuming it.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
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Lots of opportunities remain with newer technologies, including the onshore Digboi, Assam region, which was the birthplace of India’s oil sector, but has little activity today.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cure, which opened in 2009, is both record-keeper and innovator, an admirable endeavor in a city that is the birthplace of the cocktail.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since then, more than 1,000 of these home kitchens have opened across California, operating under a growing but still patchwork system.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Aquarius, your reinvention asks for home adjustments.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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During the recent demonstration test, the Bird of Prey took off from a launch cradle, and once in the air was able to autonomously search for, detect, and classify a target drone standing in for a hostile.—
David Szondy
April 04,
New Atlas,
4 Apr. 2026
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The fiber, partially derived from dent corn, is designed to maintain the performance of conventional spandex while delivering up to a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions, according to a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That decade started with the 1973 oil embargo by Arab countries who were members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and ended with the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which many attribute to helping end Jimmy Carter's presidency.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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And both reckon with the extent to which historical ignorance and the calculated distortion of the past threaten the foundation on which our country was built.—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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