vegetation

American  

[vej-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌvɛdʒ ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. all the plants or plant life of a place, taken as a whole.

   the vegetation of the Nile valley.

2. the act or process of vegetating.

3. a dull existence; life devoid of mental or social activity.

   Synonyms:

   lethargy, sloth, idleness, inactivity

4. Pathology. a morbid growth, or excrescence.

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vegetation British  

/ ˌvɛdʒɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. plant life as a whole, esp the plant life of a particular region

2. the process of vegetating

3. pathol any abnormal growth, excrescence, etc

4. a vegetative existence

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vegetation Scientific  

/ vĕj′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. The plants of an area or a region; plant life.

2. An abnormal bodily accretion, especially a clot composed largely of fused blood platelets, fibrin, and sometimes bacteria, that adheres to a diseased heart valve.

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Other Word Forms

• nonvegetation noun
• prevegetation noun
• undervegetation noun
• vegetational adjective
• vegetationless adjective
• vegetatious adjective

Etymology

Origin of vegetation

1555–65; < Medieval Latin vegetātiōn- (stem of vegetātiō ), equivalent to vegetāt- ( vegetate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

As plant-eaters, sauropods could reach higher vegetation that was otherwise out of range.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

Rattlesnakes are known to hide among dense vegetation, in this case the poppies.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Many plants and trees are already blooming, and vegetation is growing at a fantastic clip, fuelled by heavy rains in December and January.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

"They're herbivores, so they feed on lots of different vegetation, so you'll often see piles of sticks with the bark chewed off."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Who kept vigilant watch to tell the innocent stroller that the fields he was about to enter were deadly — all their vegetation coated with a lethal film?

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• flora
• greenery