grassland

noun

grass·​land ˈgras-ˌland How to pronounce grassland (audio)
1
: farmland occupied chiefly by forage plants and especially grasses
2
a
: land on which the natural dominant plant forms are grasses and forbs
b
: an ecological community in which the characteristic plants are grasses

Examples of grassland in a Sentence

stunning pictures of the giraffes and zebras roaming the grasslands of Africa
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s more than just spectacle to this event: The park can sustain only about 1,000 of the animals without grasslands becoming dangerously depleted, so the excess population will be auctioned off in the roundup’s wake. Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025 The road passes vast farm fields, undulating grasslands dotted with towering wind turbines and sprawling cattle ranches before entering Amarillo, the Panhandle’s largest city. Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025 These wild animals can be found in a variety of habitats, such as forests, grasslands, deserts and the urban-wildland interface. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 17 June 2025 Since Elton’s time, ecologists have scoured forests, grasslands, lakes and oceans to see if his predictions hold up. Gabriel Popkin, Quanta Magazine, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grassland

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grassland was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Grassland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grassland. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

grassland

noun
grass·​land -ˌland How to pronounce grassland (audio)
: land covered with herbs (as grasses and clover) rather than shrubs and trees

More from Merriam-Webster on grassland

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