forest

1 of 2

noun

for·​est ˈfȯr-əst How to pronounce forest (audio)
ˈfär-
often attributive
1
: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract
A fire destroyed acres of forest.
forests of pine and mahogany
2
: a tract of wooded land in England formerly owned by the sovereign and used for game
3
: something resembling a forest especially in profusion or lushness
a forest of microphones
a kelp forest
a forest of skyscrapers
forestal adjective
or forestial
fə-ˈre-stē-əl How to pronounce forest (audio)
fȯ-,
-ˈres-chəl,
-ˈresh-
forested adjective

forest

2 of 2

verb

forested; foresting; forests

transitive verb

: to cover with trees or forest
land densely forested with firs
forestation noun

Examples of forest in a Sentence

Noun Fires destroyed acres of forest. the endless forest that the first European settlers encountered
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.
Noun
The François langur population primarily lives in the forests of China and Vietnam, where hunting and habitat destruction are major threats. Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025 If in a forest, stay close to lower trees. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
At 8,000 feet above sea level, the North Rim's broad plateaus that drop into the canyon are thickly forested with pine trees. Ryan Heinsius, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025 Overall, the collected plant evidence shows that the area was humid and forested when the dinosaurs roamed. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forest

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin forestis (silva) unenclosed (woodland), from Latin foris outside — more at forum

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forest was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forest. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

forest

noun
for·​est
ˈfȯr-əst,
ˈfär-
: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large area

More from Merriam-Webster on forest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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