What does "prairie" mean?
An extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.
Prairie
/ˈpɹɛə.ɹi/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.
- Grammar: prairie is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: afrikaans veld, agricultural region, air space, alkali flat.
- Useful contrasts: desert, forest, urban area.
- Usage evidence: Laura Ingalls grew up on the prairie.
How to use "prairie"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prairie" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prairie" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prairie" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prairie" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "prairie" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "afrikaans veld" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "prairie", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.
"It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by."
- 2 a treeless grassy plain wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative form of Prairies. alt-of, alternative
- 2 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Wilcox County, Alabama.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Randolph County, Illinois.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Black Township, Posey County, Indiana.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Monroe County, Mississippi.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Skagit County, Washington.
- 7 A number of places in the United States:; A number of townships in the United States, listed under Prairie Township.
- 8 A rural town in the Shire of Flinders, Queensland, Australia.
- 9 A locality in the Shire of Loddon, Victoria, Australia.
Synonyms
All synonyms afrikaans veldagricultural regionair spacealkali flatalluvial plainarable land
Example
"Laura Ingalls grew up on the prairie."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "prairie"?
Common synonyms include: afrikaans veld, agricultural region, air space, alkali flat, alluvial plain, arable land.
How do you use "prairie" in a sentence?
Laura Ingalls grew up on the prairie.
How do you pronounce "prairie"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹɛə.ɹi/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French prairie.