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

While African savanna elephants are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the southern African nation of Botswana has a large elephant population estimated at around 130,000, more than any other country. — Sello Motseta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

The center of the activities was a grove, within a ring of trees, considered to be one of the oldest oak savannas in the state. — Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

With a glorious mane of glowing purple gas and dust, the Lion Nebula sparkles on the cosmic savanna in this new image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026

And South Sudan's first World Heritage site, the Boma–Badingilo Migratory Landscape, protects a vast sweep of savanna, wetlands, and floodplains crossed by one of the world's largest terrestrial mammal migrations. — Bailey Berg, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

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