deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpȯr-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce deportation (audio)
-pər-
plural deportations
Synonyms of deportationnext
: an act or instance of deporting
especially : the removal from a country by an executive government agency of a foreign-born noncitizen (such as one whose presence violates immigration laws or is ruled detrimental to the public welfare)

Synonyms of deportation

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Examples of deportation in a Sentence

the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492
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.
Many Muslim Americans hid or fled; between 2002 and 2003, thirteen thousand faced deportation proceedings. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026 Claims of citizenship are supposed to interrupt the machinery of deportation. — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 Siegmund has campaigned for mass deportations and changes to migration and education policy. — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026 The image is the latest in which the agency has turned Haitian deportations into theater. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deportation

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deportation was in 1595

Rhymes for deportation

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Browse Nearby Words

deportable
deportation
deportee
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Cite this Entry

“Deportation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportation. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Legal Definition

deportation

noun
de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpōr-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce deportation (audio)
: an act or instance of deporting
specifically : the removal from a country of an alien whose presence is illegal or detrimental to the public welfare compare exclusion

More from Merriam-Webster on deportation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deportation

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