plantation

noun

plan·​ta·​tion plan-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a usually large group of plants and especially trees under cultivation

2

: a settlement in a new country or region

Plymouth Plantation

3

a

: a place that is planted or under cultivation

b

: an agricultural estate usually worked by resident labor

Synonyms

• colony

Examples of plantation in a Sentence

the struggling plantation almost failed during the first winter

Recent Examples on the Web

There are Corinthian columns across the front, a veranda on either side, and the ghosts of plantation cotton all around. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025

Its unit Panoramic Industrial Development owns large tracts of land in Johor, a predominantly plantation area that Malaysia and Singapore are developing into a special economic zone. —Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025

Searching for these creatures is both an adventure and an exercise in supporting conservation, particularly in Borneo, where palm oil plantations have replaced large areas of rainforest. —Mihir Zaveri, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

Eucalyptus plantations have contributed to massive wildfires in Portugal, and grass fires have spread everywhere from the Great Basin in the American West to tropical forests in Chile. —Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

plantation

noun

plan·​ta·​tion plan-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a group of plants and especially trees planted and cared for

2

: a settlement in a new country or region : colony

3

: a planted area

especially : an agricultural estate worked by laborers

Geographical Definition

Plantation

geographical name

city in southeastern Florida west of Fort Lauderdale population 84,955