deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpȯr-ˈtā-shən 

-pər-

1

: an act or instance of deporting

2

: the removal from a country of an alien whose presence is unlawful or prejudicial

Synonyms

• banishment
• displacement
• exile
• expatriation
• expulsion
• relegation

Examples of deportation in a Sentence

the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492

Recent Examples on the Web

In some circumstances, a pardon will eliminate the legal basis for removal or deportation from the U.S., the DOJ notes. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

His interest in rolling back those changes comes as incoming President Trump has vowed to launch mass deportations of immigrants across the country, regardless of whether they’ve been convicted of any crimes besides crossing into the U.S. illegally. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024

Mass deportations would also have a big impact on America’s meat industry, which is heavily reliant on undocumented laborers. —Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024

Homan Trump deportation plans Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. —Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpōr-ˈtā-shən 

: 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