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)

Synonyms of deportation

• expulsion

Examples of deportation in a Sentence

the deportation of the Jews from Spain in 1492

Recent Examples on the Web

But Young noted that the child's lawyer, the judge, and government attorneys seeking deportation will all be federal employees. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

Abrego Garcia, who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported in March 2025 to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to a fear of persecution. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Syrian families in Magdeburg are weighing whether to stay, as AfD campaign promises of faster deportations and tighter asylum limits deepen fears of hostility and exclusion. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Jamal was sentenced to one year of probation and referred for deportation. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deportation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Legal 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