homeland

noun

home·​land ˈhōm-ˌland 

 also  -lənd

plural homelands

1

: the native land or country of one's parents, one's ancestors, or oneself

our ancestral homeland

hadn't seen their homeland since they were children

2

: a state or area designated as a state for a people of a particular national, cultural, or racial origin

They are fighting for an independent homeland.

the U.S. Department of Homeland Security [=a department in the U.S. government that is responsible for the safety of the U.S. and its citizens]

specifically, in South African history : any of several all-Black enclaves that had a limited degree of self-government : bantustan

Synonyms

• country
• fatherland
• home
• mother country
• motherland
• sod

Examples of homeland in a Sentence

He returned to his homeland for the first time in many years.

The rebels are fighting for an independent homeland.

Recent Examples on the Web

In December, Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted from power early in a bloodless coup by Islamist rebels who took control of Damascus, the Syrian capital, after a 13-year civil war that has caused more than 500,000 deaths and forced millions of Syrians to leave their homeland. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025

The Catalan newspaper cited a report from an outlet in the player's homeland Colombia, Antena 2, which used anonymous sources. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

Prochaska’s film reimagines the homeland horror genre as a response to 1950s German-language cinema. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025

The Brazilian’s goalscoring record in her homeland’s Serie A1 doesn’t jump off the page, netting 16 goals in 4,777 minutes since 2019. —Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

homeland

noun

home·​land ˈhōm-ˌland 

: native land : fatherland