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

Eric Gropper has about 350 breeding cows on around 8,000 acres of grassland in south-west South Dakota.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The biggest changes are visible across Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Merseyside, where areas that were previously a patchwork of green fields and grassland are now covered by light brown tones, indicating extensive vegetation stress.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

"In the surrounding chalk grassland, they can discover how plants and insects cope with extreme heat, and why shade, varied vegetation and connected habitats can provide vital refuges for wildlife."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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

These clouds were moving as the result of pure chance, the effect of utterly, random events at the level of atoms and molecules; their shadows speeding over the grassland had no meaning at all.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

According to the Wildlife Trust, the UK has lost more than 80% of its chalk grasslands since World War Two - a habitat the glow worms enjoy.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

It is Brighton and Hove's oldest local nature reserve and a team of volunteers has been helping to manage the grasslands to promote glow worms.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

"The dense forest disappears and becomes more open woodland, with more lakes and more grasslands."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026

What if he had little archer children, riding their horses that very moment in the grasslands of his country, hoping to impress their father when he came home?

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe