grassland

American  

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

noun

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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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

If she can prove that cheetahs are worth saving, she thinks, she can help the cheetahs who are living in “the parched grassland she can only imagine. The place that would’ve been her home, too.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

For example, Olduvai Gorge Bed in Tanzania has been described as freshwater woodland and grassland, while the Upper Bed reflects drier woodlands and marshy areas.

From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026

"And we're involved in restoring tropical forest, dry deciduous forest, grassland, steppe - you name it - we're trying to help people put those plants back in place."

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

The Natural History Museum's gardens opened in 2024, and features grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, and are described as a living laboratory where visitors and scientists can identify and monitor wildlife in an urban environment.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

It goes through grassland studded with honey-acacia trees, and it goes past factories, and then it conies to a rotary and enters the bustling street life of Nairobi.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe