savanna

noun

sa·​van·​na sə-ˈva-nə 

variants or less commonly savannah

1

: a treeless plain especially in Florida

2

a

: a tropical or subtropical grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth

b

: a temperate grassland with scattered trees (such as oaks)

Synonyms of savanna

• prairie
• steppe
• plain
• grassland

Examples of savanna in a Sentence

lions roaming the savanna

Recent Examples on the Web

The path passes wetlands and savannas before reaching the lake. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2025

Along the bottom is a series of intricate drawings showing all the different landscape types of the island such as sandy savannas, pinelands and mangroves. —Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025

Key features include a restoration of the river bluff and reintroduction of native plant species, including oak savanna and upland prairie. —Aki Nace, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

In 2009, Boko Haram launched an insurgency to establish a caliphate in Nigeria and the broader Sahel (the semi-arid transitional zone between the Sahara and savannas). —MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish zavana, from Taino zabana

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for savanna

• arana
• arcana
• banana
• bandana
• bandanna
• brahmana
• cabana
• campana
• diana
• fianna
• hosanna
• hyaena

Kids Definition

savanna

noun

sa·​van·​na

variants also savannah

sə-ˈvan-ə 

: a grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees