deport

American  

[dih-pawrt, -pohrt] / dɪˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt /

verb (used with object)

deports, present (3rd person singular) deported, past participle, past deporting present participle

1. to expel (an alien) from a country; banish.

2. to send or carry off; transport, especially forcibly.

   The country deported its criminals.

3. to bear, conduct, or behave (oneself ) in a particular manner.

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deport British  

/ dɪˈpɔːt /

verb

1. to remove (an alien) forcibly from a country; expel

2. to carry (an inhabitant) forcibly away from his homeland; transport; exile; banish

3. to conduct, hold, or behave (oneself) in a specified manner

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deportee
  noun
• deporter
  noun
• deportable
  adjective
• nondeportable
  adjective
• nondeported
  adjective
• undeported
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• deporting
  present
• deported
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• deport
  simple
• deports
  simple
• have deported
  perfect
• has deported
  perfect
• am deporting
  progressive
• are deporting
  progressive
• is deporting
  progressive
• have been deporting
  perfect progressive
• has been deporting
  perfect progressive

Past

• deported
  simple
• had deported
  perfect
• was deporting
  progressive
• were deporting
  progressive
• had been deporting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will deport
  simple
• will have deported
  perfect
• will be deporting
  progressive
• will have been deporting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of deport

1475–85; < Middle French déporter < Latin dēportāre to carry away, banish oneself, equivalent to dē- de- + portāre to carry; see port ⁵

Explanation

To deport is to kick someone out of a country. Deporting is also to deliver a person to the authorities of another country. Although you might like to deport your little brother from your room, it’s something governments do. Governments have the power to deport. When you're deported, you get thrown out of a country, often because you were there illegally. This type of deporting is similar to exiling. Another form of deporting is even harsher: sometimes a person is not only tossed out of one country, but handed over to the government of another country. This is also called being extradited, and it usually happens to people wanted for a crime in the second country.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deport deports deported deporting

"It's logistically relatively easy for ICE to deport them to a third country," she added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

As the leader of a minor Axis power, Boris had refused Hitler’s demands to deploy his army against the Soviet Union and deport Bulgarian Jews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Lau that immigration officers can now deport and deny lawful permanent residents — green card holders — entry into the country if they reasonably believe that the residents have committed a crime involving “moral turpitude.”

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

It is also easier for the government to deport them.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

Making as many as eight runs a day, the buses deport more than 100,000 passengers a year.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Apparently, the administration is casting a very wide net as it detains and deports people.

From Salon ● May 25, 2025

Ammunition deports and chemical plants were hit across several regions, some of which were hundreds of kilometres from the border, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2025

ICE detains and deports immigrants, but it also has an investigative branch, Homeland Security Investigations, that investigates crimes such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 27, 2022

Australia deports foreigners convicted of crimes as part of an immigration crackdown that can also strip dual-nationals of Australian citizenship.

From Reuters ● Jun. 10, 2022

“Thanatos catches souls,” Percy said, “and deports them back to the Underworld.”

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Cuban migrants in Curitiba recount horror stories of friends and relatives who sold their homes to reach the U.S., only to be deported and returned to the island with nothing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

The South African government says more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since launching a "migration management" campaign five weeks ago.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Following her prison sentence, of which she has already served roughly two years, the startup founder is expected to be deported to her native China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

“I don’t want anyone deported until I’ve got them sentenced. And if their sentence is jail or state prison, I want them to serve their sentence,” he said in an interview last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

They continued to maintain that Bobby would be deported back to the United States once the legal proceedings were concluded.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

They were also informed, despite earlier promises, that a 55-year-old law barred the government from deporting him.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

"But at the same time, I think twice. I don't want to be arrested by ICE," he said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers tasked with arresting and deporting undocumented foreign nationals.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

It prevented ICE from deporting Rivera Ortega to her home country due to concerns she could face harm.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

This isn’t a novel finding, but it shows how deporting noncriminal immigrants is economically counterproductive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

"I can't find out without asking questions that will give us away. We've decided we need to pause and regroup, now that they're deporting the Council's families."

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse