English Reference
Verb

deport

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪˈpɔɹt/ UK /dɪpˈɔːt/ de·port UK spelling deported, deporting, deports

v.to officially force someone to leave a country, usually because they do not have the legal right to stay there.

v.to expel a foreign national from a country on legal grounds, such as illegal entry or the commission of a crime. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the person or group being removed.


SIMPLE

The government decided to deport the man for overstaying his visa.

CONTEXTUAL

After his residency permit was revoked, the authorities began the legal process to deport him to his home country.

COMPLEX

International human rights organizations often monitor whether a state's decision to deport individuals violates non-refoulement principles if the destination country is deemed unsafe.

Usage

The verb is transitive and often takes the preposition 'to' to indicate the destination.

Usage deport foreign

Ceuta leaders want children returned to Morocco, but Madrid says deporting them is 'outrageous'.

Al Jazeera· 19 Aug 2026

If they have come over on small boats, you do not necessarily know where you might be able to deport them to.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

Borrowed from French déporter. With the meaning of "behave", from Old French deporter (“behave”), from Latin deportō, from de- + portō.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated