motherland

M3O1T1H4E1R1L1A1N1D2
US/ˈmʌðɚˌlænd/UK/ˈmʌð.ə.lænd/

noun

The country of one's ancestors.

“defend the motherland”

Similar
fatherlandhomelandmother countrycountry of originnative land
OriginEnglish land ← Middle English moder ← Old English mōdor →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounmotherland (plural motherlands)

plural motherlands · alternative mother-land

  1. The country of one's ancestors.
  2. The country of one's birth.

    defend the motherland

    3 more examples

    After many years abroad, he returned to his motherland.

    return to the motherland

    love of the motherland

  3. Country of origin.

    The soldiers were encouraged to defend their motherland.

  4. Mother country in contrast to its colonies.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
fatherlandhomeland

nounthe country where you were born

Similar
fatherlandhomelandmother countrycountry of originnative land
Broader
countrystateland
Also see
country of originfatherlandhomelandmother countrynative landrodina

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*méh₂tēr
  2. Proto-Germanic*mōdēr
  3. Proto-West Germanic*mōder
  4. Old Englishmōdor
  5. Middle Englishmoder
  6. Englishmother
  7. Englishland
  8. Englishmotherland

From mother + land. First attested in 1711.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek πατρίς, πατρίς
  • πατρίς (patrís)the country of one's ancestors
  • πατρίς (patrís)the country of one's birth
Arabic وَطَن, وَطَن
  • وَطَن (waṭan)the country of one's ancestors
  • وَطَن (waṭan)the country of one's birth
Bengali ওয়াতন
  • ওয়াতন (ōẇaton)the country of one's ancestors
Bulgarian роди́на, оте́чество
  • роди́на (rodína)the country of one's ancestors
  • оте́чество (otéčestvo)the country of one's ancestors
  • та́тковина (tátkovina)the country of one's ancestors
  • роди́на (rodína)the country of one's birth
Chinese Cantonese 祖國 /祖国, 故國 /故国
  • 祖國 /祖国 (zou² gwok³)the country of one's ancestors
  • 故國 /故国 (gu³ gwok³)the country of one's ancestors
Chinese Mandarin 祖國 /祖国, 故國 /故国
  • 祖國 /祖国 (zǔguó)the country of one's ancestors
  • 故國 /故国 (gùguó)the country of one's ancestors
Czech vlast, domovina
  • vlastthe country of one's ancestors
  • domovinathe country of one's ancestors
  • otčinathe country of one's ancestors
  • vlastthe country of one's birth
Danish hjemland, moderland
  • hjemlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • moderlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fædrelandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fædrelandthe country of one's birth
  • fødelandthe country of one's birth
  • hjemlandthe country of one's birth
  • fædrelandcountry of origin
  • hjemlandcountry of origin
  • moderlandmother country in contrast to its colonies
Dutch vaderland, geboorteland
  • vaderlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • geboortelandthe country of one's birth
  • land van oorsprongcountry of origin
  • moederlandmother country in contrast to its colonies
Esperanto patrujo, patrujo
  • patrujothe country of one's ancestors
  • patrujothe country of one's birth
  • hejmlandothe country of one's birth
  • patralandothe country of one's birth
  • patrinlandothe country of one's birth
  • hejmlandocountry of origin
  • patrujocountry of origin
  • patralandocountry of origin
  • patrinlandocountry of origin
  • patrujomother country in contrast to its colonies
  • metropolomother country in contrast to its colonies
  • ĉeflandomother country in contrast to its colonies
Estonian kodumaa
  • kodumaathe country of one's ancestors
Finnish isänmaa, synnyinmaa
  • isänmaathe country of one's ancestors
  • synnyinmaathe country of one's birth
  • kotimaacountry of origin
  • emämaamother country in contrast to its colonies
French patrie, matrie
  • patriethe country of one's ancestors
  • matriethe country of one's ancestors
  • patriethe country of one's birth
  • matriethe country of one's birth
German Vaterland, Heimat
  • Vaterlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • Heimatthe country of one's birth
  • Heimatlandthe country of one's birth
  • Mutterlandmother country in contrast to its colonies
Greek πατρίδα, πατρίδα
  • πατρίδα (patrída)the country of one's ancestors
  • πατρίδα (patrída)the country of one's birth
Hebrew מוֹלֶדֶת
  • מוֹלֶדֶת (molédet)the country of one's ancestors
Hindi मातृभूमि, स्वदेश
  • मातृभूमि (mātŕbhūmi)the country of one's ancestors
  • स्वदेश (svadeś)the country of one's ancestors
  • जन्मभूमि (janmabhūmi)the country of one's birth
  • मातृभूमि (mātŕbhūmi)the country of one's birth
  • मातृभूमि (mātŕbhūmi)country of origin
Hungarian őshaza, haza
  • őshazathe country of one's ancestors
  • hazathe country of one's ancestors
  • szülőföldthe country of one's ancestors
  • szülőföldthe country of one's birth
  • anyaországmother country in contrast to its colonies
Icelandic föðurland, heimaland
  • föðurlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • heimalandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fósturlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • heimalandthe country of one's birth
Indonesian tanah leluhur, tanah kelahiran
  • tanah leluhurthe country of one's ancestors
  • tanah kelahiranthe country of one's birth
  • tanah aircountry of origin
Irish tír dhúchais
  • tír dhúchaisthe country of one's ancestors
Italian madrepatria, patria
  • madrepatriathe country of one's ancestors
  • patriathe country of one's ancestors
  • patriathe country of one's birth
Japanese 母国, 祖国
  • 母国 (bokoku)the country of one's ancestors
  • 祖国 (sokoku)the country of one's ancestors
  • 母国 (bokoku)the country of one's birth
  • 本国 (hongoku)the country of one's birth
  • 故国 (kokoku)country of origin
Korean 모국, 조국
  • 모국 (moguk)the country of one's ancestors
  • 조국 (joguk)the country of one's ancestors
  • 모국 (moguk)the country of one's birth
Latin patria, patria
  • patriathe country of one's ancestors
  • patriathe country of one's birth
Latvian tēvija, tēvzeme
  • tēvijathe country of one's ancestors
  • tēvzemethe country of one's ancestors
  • dzimtenethe country of one's ancestors
  • dzimtenethe country of one's birth
  • dzimtenecountry of origin
Lithuanian tėvynė
  • tėvynėthe country of one's ancestors
Malay tanah air, ibu pertiwi
  • tanah airthe country of one's ancestors
  • ibu pertiwithe country of one's birth
  • tanah aircountry of origin
Māori whenua matua, whenua matua
  • whenua matuathe country of one's ancestors
  • whenua matuathe country of one's birth
  • whenua tupucountry of origin
Norwegian Bokmål moderland, hjemland
  • moderlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • hjemlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fedrelandthe country of one's ancestors
  • hjemlandthe country of one's birth
  • moderlandmother country in contrast to its colonies
Polish macierz, ojczyzna
  • macierzthe country of one's ancestors
  • ojczyznathe country of one's ancestors
  • ojcowiznathe country of one's ancestors
  • macierzthe country of one's birth
  • ojczyznathe country of one's birth
  • macierzcountry of origin
  • ojczyznacountry of origin
Portuguese país de origem, pátria
  • país de origemthe country of one's ancestors
  • pátriathe country of one's birth
  • pátria-mãethe country of one's birth
  • país de origemcountry of origin
  • metrópolemother country in contrast to its colonies
Romanian patrie, patrie
  • patriethe country of one's ancestors
  • patriethe country of one's birth
Russian ро́дина, отчи́зна
  • ро́дина (ródina)the country of one's ancestors
  • отчи́зна (otčízna)the country of one's ancestors
  • оте́чество (otéčestvo)the country of one's ancestors
  • ро́дина (ródina)the country of one's birth
  • ро́дина (ródina)country of origin
  • ро́дина (ródina)mother country in contrast to its colonies
Scottish Gaelic màthar-thìr, tìr-dhàimh
  • màthar-thìrthe country of one's ancestors
  • tìr-dhàimhthe country of one's ancestors
Slovak vlasť, domovina
  • vlasťthe country of one's ancestors
  • domovinathe country of one's ancestors
  • otčinathe country of one's ancestors
  • vlasťthe country of one's birth
Spanish patria, patria
  • patriathe country of one's ancestors
  • patriathe country of one's birth
Swedish fädernesland, fosterland
  • fäderneslandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fosterlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • hemlandthe country of one's ancestors
  • fosterlandthe country of one's birth
  • hemlandthe country of one's birth
  • moderlandcountry of origin
  • fosterlandcountry of origin
  • moderlandmother country in contrast to its colonies
Tagalog inang bayan, patriya
  • inang bayanthe country of one's ancestors
  • patriyathe country of one's ancestors
  • inang bayanthe country of one's birth
  • patriyathe country of one's birth
  • inang bayancountry of origin
  • patriyacountry of origin
Tamil தாயகம், தாய்நாடு
  • தாயகம் (tāyakam)the country of one's ancestors
  • தாய்நாடு (tāynāṭu)the country of one's ancestors
  • தாயகம் (tāyakam)the country of one's birth
  • தாய்நாடு (tāynāṭu)the country of one's birth
  • தாயகம் (tāyakam)country of origin
  • தாய்நாடு (tāynāṭu)country of origin
Thai มาตุภูมิ, บ้านเมือง
  • มาตุภูมิ (maa-dtù-puum)the country of one's ancestors
  • บ้านเมือง (bâan-mʉʉang)the country of one's ancestors
  • ปิตุภูมิ (bpì-dtù-puum)the country of one's ancestors
  • แผ่นดินแม่the country of one's ancestors
  • แผ่นดินแม่the country of one's birth
Turkish memleket, ana vatan
  • memleketthe country of one's ancestors
  • ana vatanthe country of one's ancestors
  • ana yurtmother country in contrast to its colonies
  • ana vatanmother country in contrast to its colonies
Ukrainian ба́тьківщина, вітчи́зна
  • ба́тьківщина (bátʹkivščyna)the country of one's ancestors
  • вітчи́зна (vitčýzna)the country of one's ancestors
  • ба́тьківщина (bátʹkivščyna)the country of one's birth
Urdu وَطَن, مادَرِ وَطَن
  • وَطَن (vatan)the country of one's ancestors
  • مادَرِ وَطَن (mādar-i vatan)the country of one's ancestors
Vietnamese quê hương, tổ quốc
  • quê hươngthe country of one's ancestors
  • tổ quốcthe country of one's ancestors
Yiddish מוטערלאַנד, מוטערלאַנד
  • מוטערלאַנד (muterland)the country of one's ancestors
  • מוטערלאַנד (muterland)the country of one's birth
  • מוטערלאַנד (muterland)country of origin
Cite this entry
APA

motherland. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherland

MLA

“motherland.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherland. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “motherland,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherland.

Source: motherland on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.