deport

verb

de·​port di-ˈpȯrt How to pronounce deport (audio)
dē-
deported; deporting; deports

transitive verb

1
[Latin deportare]
a
: to send out of the country by legal deportation
b
: to carry away
2
: to behave or comport (oneself) especially in accord with a code
Choose the Right Synonym for deport

banish, exile, deport, transport mean to remove by authority from a state or country.

banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare.

illegal aliens will be deported

transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

a convict who was transported to Australia

behave, conduct, deport, comport, acquit mean to act or to cause oneself to do something in a certain way.

behave may apply to the meeting of a standard of what is proper or decorous.

the children behaved in church

conduct implies action or behavior that shows the extent of one's power to control or direct oneself.

conducted herself with unfailing good humor

deport implies behaving so as to show how far one conforms to conventional rules of discipline or propriety.

the hero deported himself in accord with the code of chivalry

comport suggests conduct measured by what is expected or required of one in a certain class or position.

comported themselves as gentlemen

acquit applies to action under stress that deserves praise or meets expectations.

acquitted herself well in her first assignment

Examples of deport in a Sentence

Thousands of immigrants had been illegally deported. deported them back to their country of birth
Recent Examples on the Web He was first deported after driving the getaway car for a robbery as a teen in Georgia. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Mar. 2024 Could they be arrested and deported under Texas's new law? Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 21 Mar. 2024 Now, the conflict over whether Texas can arrest and deport migrants is just one part of a larger campaign that red states have directed at the Biden administration. Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The Supreme Court on Tuesday said Texas can − for now − use a new state law to detain and deport migrants entering or living in the U.S. illegally, a loss for the Biden administration which has been fighting with the state over how to secure the nation’s southern border. Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 In the month of March, the Dominican Republic – which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti - deported 4,151 people to its neighbor, per IOM figures. Anneclaire Stapleton, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Trump was able to lawfully deport migrants at the border without processing their asylum claims during the COVID-19 pandemic under a public health law called Title 42. Jean Lantz Reisz, The Conversation, 8 Mar. 2024 Because he could have been deported if that was the case. CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024 The 60-year-old South Beach resident, who state prosecutors say was deported to Jamaica before his arrest, was also picked out of a photo line-up by Perez’s girlfriend, who took the witness stand during the trial and who the Miami Herald has not named. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deport.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French deporter, from Latin deportare to carry away, from de- + portare to carry — more at fare

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of deport was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near deport

Cite this Entry

“Deport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deport. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deport

verb
de·​port di-ˈpō(ə)rt How to pronounce deport (audio)
-ˈpȯ(ə)rt
1
: to cause (oneself) to act in a certain way : conduct
deported themselves well in public
2
: to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country
deportation
ˌdē-ˌpōr-ˈtā-shən
-ˌpȯr-
noun
deportee
ˌdē-ˌpōr-ˈtē
-ˌpȯr-
noun

Legal Definition

deport

transitive verb
de·​port di-ˈpōrt How to pronounce deport (audio)
: to send (an alien) out of a country by order of deportation compare exclude
deportable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on deport

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