Great Mother

[ greyt muhth-er ]

noun

1. The Great Moth·er, a vaguely defined deity symbolizing maternity, the fertility of the earth, and femininity in general; the central figure in the religions of ancient Anatolia, the Middle East, and the eastern Mediterranean, later sometimes taking the form of a specific goddess, as Cybele, Rhea, or Demeter.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Great Mother¹

First recorded in 1550–60; translation of Latin Magna Māter, from Greek Megálē Mḗtēr

Example Sentences

Everest’s summit — Chomolungma, or the Great Mother — chronicled in her book, she found release and began to heal.

From Los Angeles Times

The Great Mother had saved us, and we escaped without looking back.

From Literature

The 2019 documentary “The Great Mother” profiles an activist who has served as legal guardian for hundreds of children born in the U.S. to parents who are undocumented.

From Los Angeles Times

Other times, she carried on about the Great Mother and the holiness of the body and sexual energy being eternal delight.

From Literature

"The Great Mother" recounts a turbulent period in the history of women through more than 400 paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures, short films, and artefacts, including a flyer advertising the first abortion clinic.

From Reuters