homeland
gb/hˈoʊmlˌænd/ us/hˈoʊmlˌænd/
B2
English
~ 8000
szülőföld, haza, ország, bantusztán
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s homeland; in [someone]'s homeland; return to [someone]'s homeland
After thirty years abroad, she finally returned to her homeland.
Harminc külföldön töltött év után végre visszatért a szülőföldjére.
He sends money back to his homeland to support his parents.
Pénzt küld haza a szülőföldjére, hogy támogassa a szüleit.
They dream of one day visiting the ancestral homeland of their grandparents.
War forced many people to leave their homeland and seek safety overseas.
The festival celebrates music and food from her African homeland.
Learner examples
I miss my homeland and my family there.
Hiányzik a szülőföldem és az ott élő családom.
He left his homeland when he was a child.
Gyerekkorában hagyta el a szülőföldjét.
Many people send money to their homeland every month.
They want to visit their parents' homeland.
She feels proud of her homeland.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "homeland" with "hometown". "Homeland" is usually a country or large region, not a city. For example, "Paris is my hometown" but "France is my homeland." Learners also sometimes say "birthland" or "born land" instead of "homeland" or "country of birth."
Meaning
a person's native country or land
Collocations
return to one's homeland
|leave the homeland
|defend the homeland
|homeland and culture
|in my homeland
|homeland of [a people]
Synonyms
native country (More neutral and descriptive, with less emotional tone than "homeland".)
|
home country (Very close in meaning; slightly more everyday and less poetic than "homeland".)
|
motherland (More emotional or patriotic; sometimes sounds old-fashioned or literary.)
Antonyms
foreign country (Emphasizes that a place is not where someone is from and has no roots or citizenship there.)
Themes
geography
|identity
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The country or land where you were born or where you feel you really belong.
A country or region where someone was born or grew up and to which they feel a strong emotional or cultural connection.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
defend the homeland; protect the homeland; homeland security
The government increased spending on missile defense to protect the homeland.
A kormány növelte a rakétavédelemre fordított kiadásokat, hogy megvédje a hazát.
Troops were deployed along the coast to defend the homeland from possible invasion.
Csapatokat vezényeltek a partvidékre, hogy megvédjék a hazát egy esetleges inváziótól.
New laws were passed in the name of homeland security after the attacks.
They argued that the best way to keep the homeland safe was through international cooperation.
Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are now seen as a serious threat to the homeland.
Learner examples
The army works to defend the homeland.
A hadsereg a haza védelmén dolgozik.
Some new laws are made to protect the homeland from terrorism.
Néhány új törvényt azért hoznak, hogy megvédjék az országot a terrorizmustól.
People were afraid that the homeland might be attacked.
She studies cyber security to help keep the homeland safe.
They talk about homeland security on the news every day.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense in everyday conversation, saying things like "I love my homeland" when they mean their country in a general or emotional way. In many cases, simply saying "my country" or using the general sense of "homeland" is more natural; this security-focused sense is mainly used in government, news, and military contexts. Also, "Homeland Security" is often capitalized when it refers to a specific government department in the United States.
Meaning
one's country as territory to defend
Collocations
defend the homeland
|homeland security
|homeland defense
|protecting the homeland
|attacks on the homeland
|threats to the homeland
Synonyms
national territory (More technical and legal; focuses on borders and land rather than emotional attachment.)
|
the nation (Broader; can include people and institutions, not just the land being defended.)
Antonyms
foreign soil (Emphasizes land outside one's own country, often where military action might take place instead of at home.)
Themes
politics
|war
|security
|law
Definition
A country seen as land that must be kept safe from attack or danger, especially in government and military talk.
A country viewed as territory that must be protected from military, terrorist, or other external threats, especially in political, security, or military contexts.
C2
TECHNICAL
3
bantusztán
C2
Usage pattern:
the [name] homeland; the apartheid homelands; in the homelands
Under apartheid, many Black South Africans were forcibly relocated to rural homelands.
Az apartheid idején sok fekete dél-afrikait erőszakkal vidéki bantusztánokba telepítettek át.
The so-called homelands were used by the regime to deny Black citizens full political rights in South Africa.
Az úgynevezett bantusztánokat arra használta a rezsim, hogy megtagadja a fekete állampolgároktól a teljes politikai jogokat Dél-Afrikában.
Economic opportunities in the homelands were extremely limited compared to the rest of the country.
Scholars have written extensively about life in the apartheid homelands.
After 1994, the former homelands were reincorporated into a unified South Africa.
Learner examples
During apartheid, some Black people had to live in special areas called homelands.
Az apartheid idején egyes fekete embereknek különleges területeken, úgynevezett bantusztánokban kellett élniük.
Life in the homelands was very poor and difficult.
A bantusztánokban nagyon szegényes és nehéz volt az élet.
The homelands were far from big cities in South Africa.
After apartheid ended, the homelands became part of South Africa again.
Many history books talk about the homelands system.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is the same as the general idea of a person's homeland. In history texts about South Africa, however, "homelands" refers to specific political areas created by the apartheid government, usually written in the plural and often with capital letters for specific names (e.g., "the Transkei Homeland").
Meaning
apartheid-era South African "homeland"
Collocations
apartheid homelands
|Bantustan homelands
|in the homelands
|the Transkei homeland
|the Ciskei homeland
|former homelands
Synonyms
Bantustan (A more specific historical term for these territories; often used critically to stress the artificial and racist nature of the "homelands" system.)
Antonyms
mainland South Africa (Refers to the rest of South Africa that was not part of the segregated homelands during apartheid.)
Themes
history
|politics
|society
|law
Definition
In old South African law, a "homeland" was a special area of land where the government forced Black groups to live and called it their own country.
In the context of apartheid-era South Africa, one of several territories designated by the government as a nominally independent national home for Black ethnic groups.
Grammar
Dictionary form
homeland
IPA
GB/hˈoʊmlˌænd/
US/hˈoʊmlˌænd/
Syllables & stress
home - land (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (home)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: homeland
- Plural: homelands
Word family
Expressions
defend the homeland
1/dɪfˈɛnd ðə hˈoʊmlˌænd/
fixed phrase
formal
protect your own country from attack
To protect your own country from military attack or other serious danger.
Examples
- The soldiers believed they were fighting to defend the homeland.
- Leaders said the new missiles were needed to defend the homeland.
- Citizens were asked to make sacrifices in order to defend the homeland.
homeland defense
1/hˈoʊmlˌænd dɪfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
formal
military protection of national territory
Military and security actions that try to keep a country’s own land safe from attack.
Examples
- The general is responsible for planning homeland defense.
- New technology is changing the way countries think about homeland defense.
- They argued that homeland defense should focus more on cyber threats.
homeland security
1/hˈoʊmlˌænd sɪkjˈʊɹɪti/
fixed phrase
formal
protection of a country from threats
Government work and systems that try to keep a country safe from things like terrorism, spying, and serious crime.
Examples
- Funding for homeland security increased after the attacks.
- She works in homeland security, focusing on airport safety.
- The new bill could change the way the country handles homeland security.
in the homeland
1/ˈɪn ðə hˈoʊmlˌænd/
fixed phrase
inside one's own country
In your own country, not in another country.
Examples
- Conditions in the homeland have improved since the end of the conflict.
- They watch news from relatives still living in the homeland.
- The party is less popular abroad than it is in the homeland.
return to one's homeland
1/ɹɪtˈɚn tə wˈʌnz hˈoʊmlˌænd/
fixed phrase
go back to your native land
To go back to the country where you were born or where you feel you truly belong, after living away for some time.
Examples
- Many refugees hope to return to their homeland when the war ends.
- After retiring, she decided to return to her homeland.
- He returned to his homeland to take care of his aging parents.