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

Firefighters covering Devon and Somerset also battled at least four grassland fires on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

A spherical object similar to those discovered this weekend was also found in remote grassland in Namibia, southern Africa, in 2011.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

"We found that the abundance of grassland birds was more than 70 percent lower at sites next to shelterbelts compared with open sites located about one kilometer away," said Hisano.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

While they provide habitat for some species, they can also reduce the abundance and diversity of birds that rely on open grassland and wetland environments.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

Matthias walked onwards, ignoring the cruel jibes of the owl, through the farmyard and across the grassland, not stopping until he arrived at the fringe of Mossflower Wood.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

"It started with a few wildlife ponds, seeing what we can do for enhancing grasslands, and then it came to, 'Shall we reroute the river?',"

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

At the same time, wild grasslands contain roughly ~40% of the world's arbuscular mycorrhizal biomass.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 15, 2026

Many of Brazil’s estimated 1.2 million capybaras have migrated from their natural habitats, forests and grasslands along rivers and lakes, to cities.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

With bands of men patrolling the 273,000-acre forest, poachers and illegal loggers have stayed away, allowing the grasslands to rejuvenate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

This insect infests about a third of Africa, posing a menace to human health and preventing the keeping of livestock in an area of some 4% million square miles of wooded grasslands.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe