A novel layered Zr-Al-La tri-metal composite (AZL) was fabricated via co-precipitation method for fluoride removal. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterized by various technologies, and its adsorption behaviors to fluoride were thoroughly carried out to investigate the fluoride removal performance. The results showed that the layered structure existed and the AZL exhibited the maximum adsorption capacity of 90.48 mg g(-1) at 308 K and pH 3.0 from the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption kinetics was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order equation, and the adsorption isotherms were well described by the Langmuir equation. Adsorption thermodynamics result was indicative of endothermic reaction in the process of adsorption of AZL to fluoride. The as-prepared AZL composite has excellent fluoride removal performance for the practical ground water and satisfies the permissible limit of fluoride in drinking water recommended by Chinese Standard. In addition, based on the characterization, the adsorption mechanism of fluoride on AZL was proposed, including electrostatic interaction between the protonated surface of AZL and fluoride, as well as ion-exchange by hydroxyl group and fluoride. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.