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

Federal authorities will seek to deport Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, claiming he lied to cross the southern border in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The Justice Department has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to weigh government requests to deport so-called ‘alien terrorists’ from the United States.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 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

“E get one guy wey they deport, him don come back get him paper. Na him wey go help me,” another said.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

From Salon ● May 25, 2025

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

Mayorkas said some would be subject to “expedited removal” in which the U.S. quickly deports low-level immigration offenders.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2021

The statement did not explicitly state when the deportation would take place, but China typically deports convicted foreigners only after they have completed their prison sentence.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2021

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

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Two more migrants deported from the United States arrived in Eswatini on Thursday, the southern African kingdom said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Ten days into their travels, before they had a chance to visit Leningrad or Riga, Latvia, the four were taken into KGB custody and deported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The Maryland man deported last year by mistake already had his federal indictment on human smuggling charges dismissed over vindictive prosecution, but now, the Justice Department is demanding the indictment be brought back.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026

On Tuesday, the Eswatini government said two people who had been deported from the US to the southern African kingdom had voluntarily returned to their home countries: Mauritania and DR Congo.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Enrique’s disappearance stirs up a bad memory: Lourdes’s ex-boyfriend and Diana’s father, Santos, tried to make his way back to the United States after being deported to Honduras.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Undocumented residents don’t enjoy the same legal rights as citizens, and deporting someone is a much lower lift, legally speaking, than prosecuting someone for a crime they didn’t commit.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The government’s lawyers say immigration laws call for deporting non-citizens with “aggravated felonies” on their records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

Wootler said authorities were doing all they could to tackle the growing problem, deporting foreigners who overstay their visa and ensuring those who engage in online crime are "punished by our courts".

From Barron's ● May 17, 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