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 family’s attorneys filed an emergency motion asking a Texas federal court to stop the deportation. —Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026

Polls show more voters blame Trump and Republicans for both shutdowns and agree with the Democratic stance on the key issues at stake, like health care costs and the mass deportation campaign. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026

Everyone searching for their name was on release while their deportation cases made their way through the courts. —Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026

After the bridge collapse, officials with the Biden administration approached dozens of family members and loved ones of those who died and encouraged them to apply for programs that provide limited protection from deportation. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 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