often attributive
1
: land in or predominantly in grass
2
: a tract of grassland: such as
a
: a large area of level or rolling land in the Mississippi River valley that in its natural uncultivated state usually has deep fertile soil, a cover of tall coarse grasses, and few trees
b
: one of the dry treeless plateaus east of the Rocky Mountains that merge on their east side with the prairies proper and are characterized by shorter grasses and drier less fertile soil
Examples of prairie in a Sentence
Millions of buffalo once roamed the prairies.
The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Badlands, North Dakota North Dakota’s Badlands is known for its rugged landscape, including sweeping hills, prairie grasses, canyons and rock formations, as well as native wildlife.
—
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Salvias and native prairie plants should only have a thin layer of mulch and don't need any if plantings are dense.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
These include native species such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
According to the nonprofit, when trees and shrubs take over grasslands, groundwater and prairie streams get depleted, soil health is compromised, and the bedrock below the grasslands is altered.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prairie
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Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Salvias and native prairie plants should only have a thin layer of mulch and don't need any if plantings are dense.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
These include native species such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
According to the nonprofit, when trees and shrubs take over grasslands, groundwater and prairie streams get depleted, soil health is compromised, and the bedrock below the grasslands is altered.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prairie
Cite this Entry
“Prairie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prairie
noun
prai·rie
ˈpre(ə)r-ē 
: a large area of level or rolling grassland
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