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

• prairie
• steppe
• grassland
• plain

Examples of savanna in a Sentence

lions roaming the savanna

Recent Examples on the Web

Located right outside of town in neighboring Moss Point, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve offers 18,000 acres of pine savannas, salt marshes, bays, bayous, and salt pannes to explore. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025

The median life expectancy for a female African savanna elephant in captivity is about 39 years. —Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025

Belle and the zoo's third African savanna elephant, Brittany, are around the same age as Ruth, a previous Journal Sentinel story reported. —Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2025

This region is more densely populated by Neptune-like worlds than both the desert and the savanna. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Sep. 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