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deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpȯr-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce deportation (audio)
-pər-
plural deportations
: 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

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.
Ferreira's lawyer said Ferreira was a former recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy that permits temporary protection from deportation for those brought to the country before age 16. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025 Reform’s platform is threadbare, marked by a single-minded obsession with immigration as the root of seemingly every social ill and offering mass deportations as the solution. Oliver Eagleton, Time, 26 Nov. 2025 About two-thirds of the remaining employees were furloughed during the government shutdown, while others have been transferred to agencies focused on deportations. Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 26 Nov. 2025 Its a timely story for the country as militarized deportation forces threaten the courthouses and legal system. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deportation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportation. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

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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