deportation

American  

[dee-pawr-tay-shuhn, -pohr-] / ˌdi pɔrˈteɪ ʃən, -poʊr- /

noun

• deportations
  plural

1. the lawful expulsion of an alien or other person from a country.

2. an act or instance of deporting.

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deportation British  

/ ˌdiːpɔːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of expelling an alien from a country; expulsion

2. the act of transporting someone from his country; banishment

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondeportation
  noun
• prodeportation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deportations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of deportation

First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin dēportātiōn- (stem of dēportātiō ), equivalent to dēportāt(us) (past participle of dēportāre; see deport, -ate ¹) + -iōn- noun suffix; see -ion

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Explanation

Deportation is the act of throwing a foreigner out of a country, whether they are a resident or an intruder. If you've ever heard that someone was deported — expelled from a country — then you can probably guess that deportation is the act of that happening. Deportation can involve a resident of a country who is tossed out because of a crime. Often, deportation happens to people who enter a country illegally and are caught. A citizen of a country is usually safe from deportation. Deportation means something close to exile. When you see the word deportation, think “Goodbye.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deportation deportations

Within a day, Sanchez was on a deportation flight back to Havana in shackles with no recourse to appeal.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

The deportation agreement included a previously undisclosed military aid package to deliver armored personnel carriers to an elite military unit in Cameroon called the Rapid Intervention Battalion, or BIR, the officials and congressional aides said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Now Sey, who is originally from Ghana and grew up in Canada, has found himself swept up in the very deportation apparatus he spent years cheering on.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026

Those people, all of whom were involved in or briefed on the negotiations, said the military aid and deportation deal were brokered simultaneously by State Department officials as part of the same package.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

“I would pretty much be facing deportation to India.”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Construction firms say they struggle to find workers because of an aging workforce and deportations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The dishonesty and hypocrisy reached stratospheric levels when audience members, including a Catholic nun, challenged Vance on his support for mass deportations and his racist lies about immigrants.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

A portion of every ticket sold will benefit Siempre Unidos LA, a grassroots nonprofit assisting immigrant families affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and deportations through food, emergency assistance, legal referrals and community support.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Moller said attention to the "teenage deportations" had led the government to "change its position".

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Had the Soviets managed to keep the deportations a secret from the world?

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

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Related Words

• displacement
• eviction
• expulsion
• extradition
• removal

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