German word

Vertreibung

Pronunciation

IPA/fɛɐ̯ˈtʁaɪ̯bʊŋ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounexpulsion

Example

Nach dem Krieg erlebten viele Menschen die Vertreibung aus ihren Dörfern.

After the war, many people were expelled from their villages.

Illustration for Vertreibung (expulsion)

More examples

Die Vertreibung ihrer Vorfahren wirkt bis heute nach.

The expulsion of their ancestors continues to have an impact to this day.

Core concept

People are forced to leave a settled home and lose their place in the community.

Common phrases

  • Vertreibung aus der Heimat

    expulsion from one's homeland

  • andauernde Vertreibung

    ongoing expulsion

Similar words

Deportation: State-ordered transfer of people across a national border.
Ausweisung: A government's official order for a foreigner to leave the country.
Exil: A life abroad caused by political pressure or persecution at home.
Zwangsumsiedlung: Compulsory resettlement of a population in a different region.

Definition in German

Vertreibung bezeichnet das gewaltsame oder behördlich erzwungene Entfernen von Menschen aus ihrem Wohnort oder ihrer Heimat.

Word origin

Vertreibung derives from the verb vertreiben, formed from ver- and treiben, plus the noun-forming suffix -ung.

Usage tips

  • Vertreibung is a feminine noun, and the usual pattern is Vertreibung aus plus a dative place or region.

Other meanings

  • evictionnoun
  • displacementnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Vertreibungswellewave of expulsionsnoun
  • vertriebenexpelledadjective

Word lists with this word