vegetation

American  

[vej-i-tay-shuhn] / ˌvɛdʒ ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• vegetations
  plural

1. all the plants or plant life of a place, taken as a whole.

   the vegetation of the Nile valley.

2. the act or process of vegetating.

3. a dull existence; life devoid of mental or social activity.

   Synonyms:

   lethargy, sloth, idleness, inactivity

4. Pathology. a morbid growth, or excrescence.

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vegetation British  

/ ˌvɛdʒɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. plant life as a whole, esp the plant life of a particular region

2. the process of vegetating

3. pathol any abnormal growth, excrescence, etc

4. a vegetative existence

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vegetation Scientific  

/ vĕj′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. The plants of an area or a region; plant life.

2. An abnormal bodily accretion, especially a clot composed largely of fused blood platelets, fibrin, and sometimes bacteria, that adheres to a diseased heart valve.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonvegetation
  noun
• prevegetation
  noun
• undervegetation
  noun
• vegetational
  adjective
• vegetationless
  adjective
• vegetatious
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vegetations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vegetation

1555–65; < Medieval Latin vegetātiōn- (stem of vegetātiō ), equivalent to vegetāt- ( see vegetate) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Use the word vegetation to refer to all plants and trees collectively, typically those in a specific region. The vegetation in your backyard might look very lush and green in the springtime, unless you forget to water it. Vegetation, as well as meaning all plant growth, can refer to the growth process of a plant. The lettuce you planted a couple weeks ago is at an early stage of vegetation. Vegetation can also apply to people — or at least to those in a state of inactivity. Think about how slowly plants grow. It’s the same for a person who’s in a state of vegetation. You may sometimes enjoy the mindless vegetation of doing nothing at all.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vegetation vegetations

An outer buffer that slows wildfires by thinning dense trees, clearing dead brush, and breaking up continuous vegetation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

An outer buffer that slows wildfires by thinning trees, clearing dead brush, and breaking up continuous vegetation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Once the flames escaped, they spread into the rainforest's parched understory, the layer of vegetation growing beneath the taller trees.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Last weekend, south Orange County received about an inch to an inch and a half of rainfall, but vegetation didn’t have enough time to absorb the moisture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

To obtain fuel and construction material and to grow food, they cleared trees and vegetation from the bluffs to the east and planted every inch of arable land.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

But because the wetlands are destroyed, vegetations are destroyed, the little water bodies are now being encroached upon.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 17, 2021

Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms and spinners moving just a bit shallower on warm days feeding near vegetations.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 13, 2021

Black bass are good with vegetations early on topwater, but overall the afternoon is when you want to be fishing.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

Black bass are good with rocks, vegetations, and drops.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 11, 2020

Though scary looking in the dark, these vegetations will hide us El Alacrán has said.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

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Related Words

• flora
• greenery

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