deforestation

[ dee-fawr-uh-stey-shuhn, for- ]
See synonyms for deforestation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the clearing or severe thinning of a forest or other wooded area, leaving few or no trees: Most of the world’s deforestation is happening in Brazil.

Origin of deforestation

1
First recorded in 1870–75; deforest + -ation

Words Nearby deforestation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deforestation in a sentence

Scientific definitions for deforestation

deforestation

[ dē-fôr′ĭ-stāshən ]


  1. The cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for deforestation

deforestation

[ (dee-fawr-uh-stay-shuhn) ]


The process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else. The term is used today to refer to the destruction of forests by human beings and their replacement by agricultural systems.

Notes for deforestation

Deforestation is considered to be a main contributor to the greenhouse effect.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.