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Synonyms

plantation

1 American  
[plan-tey-shuhn] / plænˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. a large farm or estate in a tropical or semitropical zone, for the cultivation of cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, etc., typically by enslaved, unpaid, or low-wage resident laborers.

  2. a group of planted trees or plants.

  3. History/Historical.

    1. a colony or new settlement.

    2. the establishment of a colony or new settlement.

  4. Archaic. the planting of seeds, young trees, etc.

adjective

  1. (of clothing, furnishings, etc.) suitable for a plantation or for a tropical or semitropical country.

Plantation 2 American  
[plan-tey-shuhn] / plænˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. a town in S Florida.

plantation British  
/ plænˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. an estate, esp in tropical countries, where cash crops such as rubber, oil palm, etc, are grown on a large scale

  2. a group of cultivated trees or plants

  3. (formerly) a colony or group of settlers

  4. rare the planting of seeds, shoots, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • plantationlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of plantation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English plantacioune, from Latin plantātiōn- (stem of plantātiō ) “a planting”; plant (verb), -ation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And there is no sign yet that other projects linked to large-scale deforestation, including a food and energy plantation plan in South Papua, will be halted in this drive.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Kenanga keeps a neutral stance on the plantation sector, citing limited earnings growth and few near-term catalysts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Meanwhile, plantation teak from younger trees is widely seen by high-end shipyards as inferior, rarely coming in the long, wide, dark-brown boards associated with quality.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

While the furniture and housing industries also use old-growth teak, they have generally found it easier to substitute plantation teak than the yachting industry, he adds.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

This was a severe period on that plantation, and saw many unhappy restrictions upon the small luxuries and freedoms the servants had been accorded.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.