fatherland

noun

fa·​ther·​land ˈfä-t͟hər-ˌland How to pronounce fatherland (audio)
1
: the native land or country of one's father or ancestors
2
: one's native land or country

Examples of fatherland in a Sentence

though they had lived in their adopted country for many years, the immigrant families never broke their ties with the fatherland entirely
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In his book on Hindutva, published in 1923, Savarkar argued that India should belong to this nation of Hindus, who considered the subcontinent both their fatherland and their holy land. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 12 Apr. 2024 Before the invasion, Kirill falsely cast Russian troops as defenders of the fatherland and aimed to dispel moral misgivings. Nina Shea, National Review, 24 Jan. 2024 The sympathizers range from Mr. Sarkozy’s Gaullist center right, with its simmering resentment of American power in Europe and admiration for strong leaders, to Marine Le Pen’s far right, enamored of Mr. Putin’s stand for family, faith and fatherland against a supposedly decadent West. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Universal military conscription—invented by the revolutionary government of France—enabled nation-states to recruit massive armies whose soldiers were motivated to fight for their fatherland. Andreas Wimmer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019 See all Example Sentences for fatherland 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatherland was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near fatherland

Cite this Entry

“Fatherland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatherland. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fatherland

noun
fa·​ther·​land ˈfät͟h-ər-ˌland How to pronounce fatherland (audio)
ˈfȧt͟h-
1
: the native land of one's ancestors
2
: one's native land

More from Merriam-Webster on fatherland

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!