vegetation

noun

veg·​e·​ta·​tion ˌve-jə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: plant life or total plant cover (as of an area)

2

: the act or process of vegetating

3

: inert existence

4

: an abnormal growth upon a body part

fibrin vegetations on the mitral valve

vegetational

ˌve-jə-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of vegetation

• foliage
• flora

Examples of vegetation in a Sentence

the dense vegetation of the jungle

the local vegetation is flourishing as a result of the recent rains

Recent Examples on the Web

The outages could begin after sundown and continue through Saturday afternoon, with Diablo winds, low humidity and dry vegetation driving the risk. — Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Red-flag warnings cover much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where dry vegetation, low humidity and heat could help new fires spread quickly, especially west of the 405 Freeway. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

With the false color, the vegetation surrounding the salt pan appears in shades of red, while the salt pan itself looks like a mix of bright, light and dark blues with cloudy sediment floating around. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Wright, in the group ahead, pulled his approach from a fairway bunker into the seaside vegetation down the left of the 18th, eventually making a double bogey. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin vegetātiōn-, vegetātiō "power of growth," going back to Latin, "act of invigorating," from vegetāre "to impart energy to, invigorate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal nouns — more at vegetate

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for vegetation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

vegetation

noun

veg·​e·​ta·​tion ˌvej-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act or process of vegetating

2

: dull or inactive living

a life of tranquil vegetation

3

: plant life or cover (as of an area)

Medical Definition

vegetation

noun

veg·​e·​ta·​tion ˌvej-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: an abnormal outgrowth upon a body part

specifically : any of the warty excrescences on the valves of the heart that are composed of various tissue elements including fibrin and collagen and that are typical of endocarditis