English Reference
noun

transplantation

n.
US /ˌtɹænzpɫænˈteɪʃən/ UK /tɹænsplɑːntˈeɪʃən/ trans·plan·ta·tion UK spelling transplantations

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    a medical operation where a healthy organ is moved from one person's body into another person.

    the surgical procedure of transferring an organ or tissue from a donor to a recipient to replace a damaged or failing system.

    Simple

    The patient is recovering well after his heart transplantation last week.

    In context

    Advances in immunosuppressive therapy have significantly improved the long-term success rates of renal transplantation in elderly patients.

    Usage

    Often used as an uncountable noun for the field of medicine, but countable when referring to specific operations.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the act of digging up a plant and planting it again in a different spot.

    the botanical process of uprooting a plant and replanting it in a new location or container.

    Simple

    Spring is the best time for the transplantation of young fruit trees.

    In context

    Careful transplantation is required to ensure that the delicate root systems are not shocked by the change in soil composition.

    replantingrepotting
  3. 03 C1 Advanced AcademicFormal

    moving a group of people from their home to a new area or country.

    the relocation or resettlement of a population or social group to a new geographical region.

    Simple

    The transplantation of the community to the city caused many social problems.

    In context

    Historians studied the forced transplantation of these tribes, noting the profound impact on their cultural identity and linguistic traditions.

The service's head of organ transplantation, Anthony Clarkson, said it had been using a system for urgent communications to transplant teams where speed can be critical.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

The BBC reported in March that the UK, once a world leader, had fallen behind major Western nations in heart and lung transplantation, though it fares better in other areas such as kidney transplantation.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

From Middle French transplantation, from transplanter (“to transplant”) + -ation (suffix indicating an action or process).

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

This entry
Origin frm transplantation
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated