vegetation
Americannoun
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all the plants or plant life of a place, taken as a whole.
the vegetation of the Nile valley.
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the act or process of vegetating.
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a dull existence; life devoid of mental or social activity.
- Synonyms:
- lethargy, sloth, idleness, inactivity
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Pathology. a morbid growth, or excrescence.
noun
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plant life as a whole, esp the plant life of a particular region
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the process of vegetating
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pathol any abnormal growth, excrescence, etc
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a vegetative existence
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The plants of an area or a region; plant life.
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An abnormal bodily accretion, especially a clot composed largely of fused blood platelets, fibrin, and sometimes bacteria, that adheres to a diseased heart valve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of vegetation
1555–65; < Medieval Latin vegetātiōn- (stem of vegetātiō ), equivalent to vegetāt- ( see vegetate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Use the word vegetation to refer to all plants and trees collectively, typically those in a specific region. The vegetation in your backyard might look very lush and green in the springtime, unless you forget to water it. Vegetation, as well as meaning all plant growth, can refer to the growth process of a plant. The lettuce you planted a couple weeks ago is at an early stage of vegetation. Vegetation can also apply to people — or at least to those in a state of inactivity. Think about how slowly plants grow. It’s the same for a person who’s in a state of vegetation. You may sometimes enjoy the mindless vegetation of doing nothing at all.
Vocabulary lists containing vegetation
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The drones are equipped with thermal cameras , and can follow bears through dense vegetation until hunters or police arrive.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Continued growth could place increasing pressure on food resources, native vegetation, and the broader ecosystem.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
The more vegetation on the ground, the healthier the ground will be.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Seeing the lake, the volcanoes, the vegetation, the flowers, I miss all of that.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
She lives on or near the ground, fluttering about among low vegetation or creeping up tree trunks.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
