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)
Examples of deportation in a Sentence
the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492
Recent Examples on the Web
Threatening them with deportation is a common tool used by abusers to silence their victims.
—
Evangeline Chan, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
In March, Banegas tried to withdraw his guilty plea, saying his attorneys influenced him to plead guilty by telling him his family would be targeted for deportation and that he would be executed within five years.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Federal immigration officers shot 14 people from September to February as DHS ramped up deportation operations around the country.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
This is true even as schools cut diversity, equity and inclusion programs and as some students experience heightened surveillance, visa cancellations, detention or deportation.
—Anindya Kundu, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deportation
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Evangeline Chan, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
In March, Banegas tried to withdraw his guilty plea, saying his attorneys influenced him to plead guilty by telling him his family would be targeted for deportation and that he would be executed within five years.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Federal immigration officers shot 14 people from September to February as DHS ramped up deportation operations around the country.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
This is true even as schools cut diversity, equity and inclusion programs and as some students experience heightened surveillance, visa cancellations, detention or deportation.
—Anindya Kundu, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deportation
Cite this Entry
“Deportation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportation. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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