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

Plus she’s invested in climate action, donating $90 million to the Forests, People, Climate (FPC) collaborative determined to end tropical deforestation. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026

The Amazon, which is crucial to regulating the global climate because forests store carbon dioxide, is constantly under pressure from deforestation driven by agriculture, cattle ranching and mining. —Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

If a property is flagged, farmers may challenge the designation by demonstrating that the deforestation was legal. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

But in recent years, a combination of deforestation and extreme weather has impacted the migration, causing butterfly numbers and their typical roosting window, from November to March, to be less predictable. —Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 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