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

The two-year project in partnership with Kew Millennium Seed Bank, aims to collect, store and sow seed from rare and declining grassland species that are found in Cumbria.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Natural England considers the land special for its biological interest, specifically wanting to protect its rare lowland meadow and grassland habitat.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 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

The iconic tule elk, some of which were fenced in on the northern part of the peninsula to keep them from competing for grassland with cows, were dying off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 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

In places such as Wyoming and Florida, M. trumani lived as a generalist predator in temperate grasslands.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

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

The current 630-strong herd of wild red and fallow deer in Richmond Park were first introduced by Charles I in 1637 and roam freely amongst the trees and grasslands.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The journey would take us through jungles, grasslands, and desert.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe