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

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

The idea is to make it easier to detain and deport those arriving by sea.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

“I don’t know if they’re going to let me stay or deport me,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

In other words, they're the people who will deport you.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

At the same time, the government pursued an expedited removal, a process by which the government deports someone without a hearing before a judge.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2025

It has stepped up its presence at sea as well as aerial surveillance and currently deports 24,000 people a year.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2023

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

A hearing for Biden’s nominee for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which detains and deports immigrants after they have entered the United States, was held last week before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2021

December 21: The United States deports 249 people that it has accused of being anarchists.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Kerry remembers the night she first heard about Kebatu's offending, for which he was jailed and later deported.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

In the nine months between October and June, 356,389 people have been deported, compared with 319,980 deportations for the 12 prior months.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

He told us that he had been deported in 1942.

From "Night" by Elie Wiesel

A May Harvard-Harris poll showed that 80% of registered voters, including 71% of Democrats, support deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 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

Linday Foreman's son, Joe Bennett, said deporting an Iranian national held in the UK could secure their release, and is asking why this is not being explored for his mother and step-father.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

Cambodian authorities say they are cracking down, detaining and deporting more than 13,000 foreign nationals involved in online scams since early last year.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

These buses make as many as eight runs a day, deporting more than 100,000 unhappy passengers every year.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario