vegetation

American  

[vej-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌvɛdʒ ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

vegetations plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vegetations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vegetation vegetations

While extra rain can bring flooding and landslide risks, it can also keep vegetation moist, lowering the potential for wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Over time, vegetation spreading beyond the domes could gradually add oxygen to the wider atmosphere, although the team estimates that natural oxygen production alone would require roughly a thousand years.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Still, vegetation is relatively dry as the region heads into its peak fire season, and any ignition could quickly take off, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

The forest sees 15 million visitors each year, making it vulnerable to fires -- quite apart from its sandy soil and vegetation consisting of ferns and highly flammable conifers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Charlie Company was spread out in a long line in the dense jungle vegetation.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

But because the wetlands are destroyed, vegetations are destroyed, the little water bodies are now being encroached upon.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 17, 2021

Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms and spinners moving just a bit shallower on warm days feeding near vegetations.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 13, 2021

Black bass are good with vegetations early on topwater, but overall the afternoon is when you want to be fishing.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

Black bass are good with rocks, vegetations, and drops.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 11, 2020

Though scary looking in the dark, these vegetations will hide us El Alacrán has said.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

Related Words

• flora
• greenery