grassland

American  

[gras-land, grahs-] / ˈgræsˌlænd, ˈgrɑs- /

noun

• grasslands
  plural

1. an area, as a prairie, in which the natural vegetation consists largely of perennial grasses, characteristic of subhumid and semiarid climates.

2. land with grass growing on it, especially farmland used for grazing or pasture.

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grassland British  

/ ˈɡrɑːsˌlænd /

noun

1. land, such as a prairie, on which grass predominates

2. land reserved for natural grass pasture

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grassland Scientific  

/ grăs′lănd′ /

1. An area that is dominated by grass or grasslike vegetation. Moderately dry climatic conditions and seasonal disturbances, such as floods or fires, are generally conducive to the growth of grasses and prohibitive of that of trees and shrubs. Grasslands are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and typically occupy regions between forests and deserts.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grasslands
  plural

Etymology

Origin of grassland

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85; grass + land

Explanation

A grassland is an ecosystem that's thickly covered in short plants. Grasslands are notable for being lush and green. An area of land that mostly grows grass is a grassland — although there are other plants typically mixed in among the grasses, like clover, flowers, and woody plants. In the U.S., tallgrass prairies once covered huge portions of the midwestern states and were an example of one type of grassland. Today, these ecosystems can still be found around the world in regions that receive significant rainfall.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grassland grasslands

“Losing them to invasive grassland means a more dangerous fire regime that threatens biodiversity, and the people and livelihoods that depend on Catalina Island.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The results call into question the common assumption that restoring species-rich grassland necessarily requires commercial seed mixes or other expensive measures.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Using money from Natural England and the Crown Estate, the Royal Entomological Society is working with other groups to update conservation guidance for grassland sites in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire to study our changing climate.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

A number of house were destroyed by a fire in Stourbridge, with officials saying it is thought the fire started in nearby grassland before spreading to a residential area.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

There wasn’t anything around except hills, grassland, and some scattered farm buildings.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

The lack of water has ravaged grasslands and left ranchers unable to grow enough hay, forcing them to buy feed for their cows at high prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Long-term ecological studies examining the natural restoration of grasslands are uncommon because they depend on consistent monitoring over many years.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

The proposal would rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, enacted in the final days of the Clinton administration, which barred development across vast areas of public forests and grasslands designated as "inventoried roadless areas."

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

An unusually wet winter encouraged dense plant growth across grasslands, shrublands, and forest understories.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

Like a modern-day covered wagon, it rolls out of the waving grasslands and stops.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe