English Reference
Noun

deportation

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌdipɔɹˈteɪʃən/ UK /dɪpɔːtˈeɪʃən/ de·por·ta·tion UK spelling deportations

n.the act of forcing a person to leave a country, usually because they do not have the legal right to stay there.

n.the formal removal of a foreign national from a country for reasons such as illegal entry, visa expiration, or criminal activity.


SIMPLE

The government ordered his deportation after his visa expired.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer filed an emergency appeal to stop the deportation of the family until their asylum case was heard.

COMPLEX

International human rights groups often monitor the deportation process to ensure that individuals are not returned to regions where they face immediate physical danger or political persecution.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general process or policy; countable when referring to specific instances or individual cases.

Two years ago, Kathleen Poole, who had Alzheimer’s, faced deportation from a dementia care home because she did not have up-to-date bank statements and a passport.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

The options outlined by Burnham are speeding up the deportation of foreign offenders, releasing female prisoners from jail and reviewing indefinite sentences given to “lower-risk” prisoners.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From Middle French déportation, equivalent to deport + -ation.

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

This entry
Origin frm déportation
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated