vegetation
Americannoun
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all the plants or plant life of a place, taken as a whole.
the vegetation of the Nile valley.
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the act or process of vegetating.
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a dull existence; life devoid of mental or social activity.
- Synonyms:
- lethargy, sloth, idleness, inactivity
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Pathology. a morbid growth, or excrescence.
noun
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plant life as a whole, esp the plant life of a particular region
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the process of vegetating
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pathol any abnormal growth, excrescence, etc
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a vegetative existence
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The plants of an area or a region; plant life.
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An abnormal bodily accretion, especially a clot composed largely of fused blood platelets, fibrin, and sometimes bacteria, that adheres to a diseased heart valve.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vegetation
1555–65; < Medieval Latin vegetātiōn- (stem of vegetātiō ), equivalent to vegetāt- ( see vegetate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Use the word vegetation to refer to all plants and trees collectively, typically those in a specific region. The vegetation in your backyard might look very lush and green in the springtime, unless you forget to water it. Vegetation, as well as meaning all plant growth, can refer to the growth process of a plant. The lettuce you planted a couple weeks ago is at an early stage of vegetation. Vegetation can also apply to people — or at least to those in a state of inactivity. Think about how slowly plants grow. It’s the same for a person who’s in a state of vegetation. You may sometimes enjoy the mindless vegetation of doing nothing at all.
Vocabulary lists containing vegetation
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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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.
"Vegetation doesn't just become a bit more flammable," explained Professor Rein, "it becomes much more flammable."
From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025
Vegetation influences sediment transport especially in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau and Tien Shan.
From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024
An evacuation warning has been issued for the following zones: Reason : Vegetation fire - https://t.co/DjXiufozQX Link to affected zones : https://t.co/UTXRWXGnE2 RVC Poppet Flats 1, 2, 3 and 4.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2024
Vegetation helps to prevent streambank erosion, keeping back salt-filled silt that changes the water chemistry and fills the gaps between gravel—where hellbender larvae live.
From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023
Vegetation gets thickest toward the center of the site, where the judo pavilion once stood and where rows of elms planted as windbreaks have tripled their growth since the forties.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
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.
