desertification

noun

de·​sert·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion di-ˌzər-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce desertification (audio)
: the process of becoming desert (as from land mismanagement or climate change)
desertify transitive verb

Examples of desertification in a Sentence

The organization was awarded for its efforts to prevent further desertification in Africa.
Recent Examples on the Web There, a dearth of job opportunities and an increase in desertification had led to crop failures and migration away from the semi-arid land. Tom Watkins, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Home to hundreds of endemic species and 28 million people, the biome is threatened by desertification in large part by an overpopulation of grazing animals. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan. 2024 Climate researchers predict the increasing desertification of the American Southwest. Debra J. Rosenthal, The Conversation, 19 Sep. 2023 Authors address consequences such as warming temperatures, ocean acidification, desertification and sea-level rise. Debra J. Rosenthal, The Conversation, 19 Sep. 2023 Much of Spain’s land now faces climatic conditions that could lead to desertification. Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2023 But forests are diminishing through exploitative logging practices as well as the process of desertification, which turns grassland and shrubland arid. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2023 The already high temperatures are rising and the region faces the constant threat of desertification and water deficiency. Kristen Lynch, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023 Climate change and desertification are to blame, scientists say. Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'desertification.' 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

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of desertification was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near desertification

Cite this Entry

“Desertification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desertification. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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