deportation

noun

de·​por·​ta·​tion ˌdē-ˌpȯr-ˈtā-shən 

-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

• expulsion

Examples of deportation in a Sentence

the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492

Recent Examples on the Web

The federal department touted the gloves as a way to de-escalate tense situations for personnel at ICE, including deportation officers and homeland security investigators. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026

For some immigrants, the fear is no longer confined to the possibility of deportation. — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Unlike adults facing deportation and other immigration proceedings in the United States, unaccompanied children must generally be provided with access to a lawyer, under the terms of a 2008 law. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

In the same interview with El País, Blanco criticized the mass deportations that have targeted Latinos. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deportation

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

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