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

Threats of deportation continue to loom, with Pakistan deporting thousands of Afghan refugees illegally into the country in November 2023. —Beth Bailey, Fox News, 17 Aug. 2024

How do the Trump and Biden administrations compare on deportations? —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2024

But many Latinos have been turned off by Trump's heated rhetoric about immigrants and his plan for mass deportations. —Russell Contreras, Axios, 11 Aug. 2024

Others, fearing fast-track deportations, had decided to wait in the camp until Title 42 was lifted. —Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 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