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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their primary threat is habitat loss driven by deforestation for mining and agriculture. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 The legislation also arrives as governments and businesses face growing pressure from international markets to demonstrate that commodities such as beef are not linked to deforestation. — Steven Grattan, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 Brazil’s experience shows that government priorities can have a measurable impact on the Amazon, said Cristiane Mazzetti, zero deforestation lead at Greenpeace Brazil. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, points directly at fossil fuel emissions and deforestation as the engines behind the trend. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deforestation

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deforestation was in 1874

Rhymes for deforestation

See All Rhymes for deforestation

Browse Nearby Words

De Forest
deforestation
deforested
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deforestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deforestation. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
(ˈ)dē-ˈfȯr-əst How to pronounce deforestation (audio)
-ˈfär-
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on deforestation

Nglish: Translation of deforestation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deforestation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All