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 of homeland

• home
• country

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

They were forcibly removed by British ambassador Lord Elgin more than 200 years ago and have yet to return to their homeland. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

The region—including Naples, Calabria, and Sicily—was also the homeland of many of the Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States during the first half of the twentieth-century. — Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026

But likewise, Palestinians should have a right to live in their homeland in a peaceful way. — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

This absence drives Shimoda to unearth historical records like FBI files; to visit Manzanar, the concentration camp his grandfather was sent to in Missouri; and to travel to his grandfather’s ancestral homeland in Japan. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for homeland

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids Definition

homeland

noun

home·​land ˈhōm-ˌland 

: native land : fatherland