savanna

American  

[suh-van-uh] / səˈvæn ə /

Or savannah

noun

1. a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the margins of the tropics where the rainfall is seasonal, as in eastern Africa.

2. grassland region with scattered trees, grading into either open plain or woodland, usually in subtropical or tropical regions.

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savanna British  

/ səˈvænə /

noun

1. open grasslands, usually with scattered bushes or trees, characteristic of much of tropical Africa

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savanna Scientific  

/ sə-văn′ə /

1. A flat, grass-covered area of tropical or subtropical regions, nearly treeless in some places but generally having a mix of widely spaced trees and bushes. Savannas have distinct wet and dry seasons, with the mix of vegetation dependent primarily on the relative length of the two seasons.

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savanna Cultural  

1. A tropical land mass of grassland and scattered trees.

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Etymology

Origin of savanna

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier zavana, from Spanish (now sabana ), from Taíno zabana

Example Sentences

Nonprofits and conservation groups estimate that there are today around 415,000 elephants in Africa, and the African savanna elephant is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

The research used forest inventory data from 2,700 plots across the country, ranging from cool moist forests to dry savanna.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

Namibia had also proposed overturning the ban on African savanna elephant ivory - this too was defeated.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

Amazon Rainforest: Rising temperatures and ongoing deforestation have placed the Amazon rainforest at risk of large-scale transformation into savanna between 1.5-2°C of warming.

From Science Daily • Oct. 29, 2025

In a broad reach of savanna, the Beni’s original inhabitants built raised fields—artificial platforms of soil that lift crops above the floodwaters.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• grassland