homeland
Where you're from
A homeland is the country or region where a person was born or has deep ancestral roots—the place that feels like home in a cultural or ethnic sense: They dreamed of returning to their homeland.
The word carries emotional weight, suggesting belonging and identity.
In political contexts, homeland sometimes appears in government agencies concerned with domestic security, as in the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
A homeland can also refer to territory designated for a particular ethnic group, as in the nominally self-governing areas created under South African apartheid.
Sovereign state or territory
- motherlandOne's native country
- fatherlandOne's native country
- territoryLand under jurisdiction
- stateCondition or mode
realm · sovereignty · borders · citizenship · nationality · flag · anthem · constitution
Banishment from homeland
- refugeePerson fleeing danger abroad
- migrationMovement to new territory
- displacementRemoval from usual location
- emigrationLeaving homeland permanently
expatriate · resettlement · deportation · repatriation · longing · nostalgia · return · scattered
One's country of origin
- earthSoil or electrical grounding
- groundSolid surface underfoot
- terrainLand's physical features
- territoryLand under jurisdiction
acres · fields · farmland · countryside · hills · valleys · rivers · mountains
One's country of origin
- cradleRocking bed for infants
- originsPoints where things start
- villageSmall rural community
- townMid-sized settlement
province · region · locality · old country · native ground
Descent from progenitors
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- forebearsAncestral family members
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
descent · family tree · clan · tribe · kinfolk · forefathers · pedigree · ethnicity
Long-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- cultural identityBelonging through shared traditions
- legacyWhat's passed down
inheritance · ceremonies · rites · mythology · artifacts · heirlooms · dialects · mother tongue
country
Sovereign state or territory
- motherlandOne's native country
- fatherlandOne's native country
- territoryLand under jurisdiction
state · realm · sovereignty · borders · citizenship · nationality · flag · anthem · constitution · capital
exile
Banishment from homeland
- refugeePerson fleeing danger abroad
- migrationMovement to new territory
- displacementRemoval from usual location
emigration · expatriate · resettlement · deportation · repatriation · longing · nostalgia · return · scattered · uprooted
native soil
One's country of origin
territory · acres · fields · farmland · countryside · hills · valleys · rivers · mountains · shores
native soil
One's country of origin
town · province · region · locality · old country · native ground
lineage
Descent from progenitors
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- forebearsAncestral family members
bloodline · descent · family tree · clan · tribe · kinfolk · forefathers · pedigree · ethnicity · parentage
traditions
Long-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- cultural identityBelonging through shared traditions
legacy · inheritance · ceremonies · rites · mythology · artifacts · heirlooms · dialects · mother tongue · history
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- historic rootsgenealogy, ancestry, lineage, heritage, origins
- landsfarmland, grassland, wetland, marshland, parkland
- patriotismnational anthem, national flags, love of country, patriotism, flag waving
- territoryterritory, region, domain, realm, dominion
- homelandmotherland, fatherland, birthplace, patria, mother country
homelandforeign land
Another country
foreign country · abroad · overseas · enemy territory · host country
homelandexile
Banishment from homeland
diaspora · banishment · displacement · statelessness · rootlessness
homelandoccupied territory
Land under foreign military control
conquered land · colony · enemy territory · hostile territory · annexed territory
- Homeland SecurityFederal domestic protection agency