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
Still, many colonists had not seriously considered separating from the mother country—until a history-making pamphlet was published in the City of Brotherly Love on January 10, 1776.
—
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The prime minister of Greenland called on the country to strive for greater independence from its mother country, Denmark, in a New Year’s address delivered this week, in light of the controversy surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for the U.S. to purchase the island.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Jan. 2025
Korea, director Bong’s mother country, was our first choice in terms of where to debut the film.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
In my mother country, all the tools of propaganda would keep painful truths at bay.
—Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The prime minister of Greenland called on the country to strive for greater independence from its mother country, Denmark, in a New Year’s address delivered this week, in light of the controversy surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for the U.S. to purchase the island.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Jan. 2025
Korea, director Bong’s mother country, was our first choice in terms of where to debut the film.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
In my mother country, all the tools of propaganda would keep painful truths at bay.
—Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mother country
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother country
Noun
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Its culinary impact is just as notable: The metro Detroit region is the birthplace of multinational chains, such as Domino’s, Little Caesars, and Jet’s Pizza, which have brought Detroit into the global pizza lexicon.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
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After all, Vermont is pretty much known as the birthplace of craft brewing.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
27 July 2025
Noun
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This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
26 July 2025
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The result tied the Revolution’s second-worst home winless run in club history — seven games, originally achieved in 2011.—
Julian Cardillo,
Boston Herald,
26 July 2025
Noun
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Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images Tropical rainforests are the cradle of life on Earth—and the world's lungs.—
Juan Carlos Navarro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Since beginning science operations in July 2022, JWST has transformed our understanding of the universe, from spotting the earliest galaxies yet to probing exoplanets and cradles of newborn stars.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Three of the world’s most powerful Western nations have added their economic and geopolitical clout to calls for a Palestinian state, an idea already endorsed by more than 140 other countries.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
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Schriver reiterated calls to rein in pharmacy benefit middlemen and take on foreign countries shirking their responsibility, and raised the specter of losing ground to China, an area of concern to Trump.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mother country.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20country. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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