deforestation

noun

de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən 

-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

Other potential impacts include deforestation, air pollution, noise and polluted water seeping into rivers and lakes, which can poison fish populations and sully drinking water supplies. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Around the world, many forests are already showing signs of diminishing as temperatures rise, in addition to deforestation for timber, crops and rangeland that further reduce their resilience. — Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

Archaeologists first identified several in the western Brazilian state of Acre in 1977, when deforestation began to clear parts of the forest. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026

Driven by practices like overgrazing and deforestation alongside climate pressures, this land loss poses a massive ecological and human threat. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deforestation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

deforestation

noun

de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən 

-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 

-ˈfär-

verb