carbon sequestration

noun

plural carbon sequestrations

1

: any of various methods or processes for capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere : carbon capture

Carbon sequestration is capturing the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and storing it safely away from the atmosphere.

—National Academy of Engineering

… carbon sequestration, the process of taking carbon dioxide—the greenhouse gas associated with global warming—and removing it from circulation by compressing it and injecting it deep underground.

—Phred Dvorak

especially : the capture and use of carbon dioxide by living vegetation : carbon capture sense 2

Carbon sequestration is a process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, which can be done by forests or in the soil, among other processes.

—Eliza Noe

2

: the storage of carbon and especially carbon dioxide in carbon sinks (such as oceans, soil, or forests) by natural or artificial means

While measurements of carbon sequestration in trees is well documented, there has been very little work on how much carbon … grasslands can capture …

—John Lovett

Greater Toledo has the potential to be a national leader in carbon sequestration thanks to geological formations that support burial of the captured carbon.

—Toledo (Ohio) Blade

Examples of carbon sequestration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Agroforestry refers to a tactic where trees and shrubs are integrated into crop and livestock farming systems to improve biodiversity, soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and microclimate regulation. —Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

The lawsuit states that the revelation concerning the drop in carbon sequestration necessitates environmental review, and that the modifications — described as attempts to mitigate what’s known as the urban heat island effect — also require analysis under CEQA. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024

Not to mention the choice of bamboo as the primary structural material: its rapid growth, renewability, and carbon sequestration capabilities endow it with many virtuous properties. —Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

As a Whiting resident, Lisa Vallee is happy to no longer worry about BP’s proposed carbon sequestration project. —Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carbon sequestration

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization