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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondeportation
  noun
• prodeportation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deportations
  plural

---

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

---

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

Special Order 40 was aimed at reassuring the city’s immigrants that they could safely report a crime or serve as a witness without fear of deportation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

For Mikhail and Dasha, the threat of deportation comes as more Russians may be considering leaving.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

A judge has restricted his transfer and temporarily blocked his deportation while his legal challenge proceeds.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

"We call on the international community to demand that Bangkok halt his deportation and allow him to travel safely to the country of his choice," Bielakowska said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

That day, however, Billings and I had only one inmate to transport, a Mexican who had a deportation hearing at an immigration court inside the Downstate Correctional Facility, about an hour’s drive away.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

There were more than 40,600 returns and deportations from the UK from July 2025 to June this year - an 8% increase on the same period last year.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The country singer also asked fans to donate to the Young Center for Immigrant Rights, which helps children whose parents have faced deportations, during the opening night of her tour in Chicago back in August.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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

A similar lawsuit was filed earlier in June at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to halt US deportations to Equatorial Guinea, which has also served as a way station for African deportees.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Had the Soviets managed to keep the deportations a secret from the world?

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• displacement
• eviction
• expulsion
• extradition
• removal

---