savanna

American  

[suh-van-uh] / səˈvæn ə /

Or savannah

noun

1. a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the margins of the tropics where the rainfall is seasonal, as in eastern Africa.

2. grassland region with scattered trees, grading into either open plain or woodland, usually in subtropical or tropical regions.

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savanna British  

/ səˈvænə /

noun

1. open grasslands, usually with scattered bushes or trees, characteristic of much of tropical Africa

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savanna Scientific  

/ sə-văn′ə /

1. A flat, grass-covered area of tropical or subtropical regions, nearly treeless in some places but generally having a mix of widely spaced trees and bushes. Savannas have distinct wet and dry seasons, with the mix of vegetation dependent primarily on the relative length of the two seasons.

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savanna Cultural  

1. A tropical land mass of grassland and scattered trees.

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Etymology

Origin of savanna

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier zavana, from Spanish (now sabana ), from Taíno zabana

Explanation

A savanna is a grassy, usually tropical area of land. You're more likely to find a savanna in Tanzania than in Savannah, Georgia. You can spell this word savanna or savannah — either way, you're talking about a particular kind of ecosystem that's mostly covered with grass and sparsely placed trees. While most savannas are in tropical or subtropical parts of the world, there are also temperate savannas (including in the Great Plains of the U.S.) and mediterranean savannas, such as California's oak tree savannas. In Spanish, savanna means "treeless plain."

Example Sentences

"It's really a stroke of luck," Sadiakhou told AFP of his involvement in the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project, which was founded by US primatologist Jill Pruetz in 2001.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

Joshua Johnson-Hector was found with a serious head injury outside the Savanna venue on Bristol Street, Birmingham, just after 04:15 GMT on 28 December.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

Savanna and grasslands are more susceptible to flash droughts than other ecotypes, particularly in humid and semi-humid climates, the study found.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

The family then moved from Cayey to Savanna, Illinois, where he got a civil servant job at a military base.

From National Geographic • Nov. 10, 2023

In lower school, Savanna and Ellie and me and Maya and Summer: we were all friends.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Related Words

• grassland