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

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

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

The State Department notified Congress of the military aid package in January about a month after the deportation deal was struck, some of the officials and aides said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

It is illegal for non-citizens to vote in US federal elections - punishments can include a prison sentence, a fine, and deportation.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

That now that I've seen what I've seen in the deportation center, I'll be able to forget it?

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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

The newspaper offered a $5 prize in a contest to name the airborne deportations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

White House czar Tom Homan defended the deportations in a recent CNN interview.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

The central controversy of Arendt’s career concerned her claims about Jewish leaders’ roles in compiling lists and administering deportations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Obinze looked at him for a moment, his open face, his simple view of the world; deportations happened every day and the living went on living.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Related Words

• displacement
• eviction
• expulsion
• extradition
• removal

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