deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpȯr-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce deportation (audio)
-pər-
1
: an act or instance of deporting
2
: the removal from a country of an alien whose presence is unlawful or prejudicial

Examples of deportation in a Sentence

the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492
Recent Examples on the Web Experts say that inflammatory statements by prominent Israelis are normalizing ideas that would have been considered off limits before Oct. 7, including the killing and mass deportations of Palestinians. Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Mir cited Pakistan’s planned deportation of 1.7 million Afghan refugees, which began last week, as the most serious result so far of Pakistan’s increasing frustration. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 Days before Pakistan announced the deportations, suicide bombings at two mosques in provinces bordering Afghanistan killed about 60 people. Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2023 The county initiative, launched in 2022, provides immigrants facing deportation with legal representation. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2023 Immigration hardliners, who have advocated for mass deportations and the gutting of U.S. asylum law, would likely view it as insufficiently restrictive. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023 Pakistan abruptly turns against Afghan refugees, calls for deportations Violence closes in In Peshawar, one of Asia’s oldest trading towns and a midway point between Kabul and Islamabad for centuries, the Pakistani Taliban’s growing footprint did not go unnoticed during the past two years. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 Other 2024 candidates and members of Congress have promised similar deportations. Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023 Data from the Justice Department suggests nearly half defend themselves against deportation without any legal representation. Julia Ainsley, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deportation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deportation was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near deportation

Cite this Entry

“Deportation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportation. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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