deforestation

noun

de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce deforestation (audio)
-ˌfär-
: the action or process of clearing of forests
also : the state of having been cleared of forests

Examples of deforestation in a Sentence

the deforestation of the island
Recent Examples on the Web But land degradation and deforestation isn't just a concern for tropical countries. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 In recent decades, scientists have warned that industrial meat production, and beef in particular, fuels climate change and leads to deforestation, soil erosion, species extinction, ocean dead zones and high levels of methane emissions. Hannah Cutting-Jones, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2024 The current pace of warming is driven primarily by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. Monica Sanders, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 Sustainability is a concern since the tree is not considered endangered and rising popularity has led to concerns of deforestation as dry forest areas where the plant originates are threatened. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deforestation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deforestation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deforestation was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near deforestation

Cite this Entry

“Deforestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deforestation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

deforestation

noun
de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce deforestation (audio)
-ˌfär-
: the action or process of clearing an area of forests
also : the state of having been cleared of forests
deforest verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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