rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst How to pronounce rainforest (audio)
-ˌfär-
variants or less commonly rain forest
plural rainforests also rain forests
1
: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy

called also tropical rainforest

2

Examples of rainforest in a Sentence

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.
The film explores a strange colonial scheme in the 20th century when automaker Henry Ford attempted to create a rubber plantation in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Nov. 2025 Recent expansions of botanical knowledge regarding the cumaru tree underscore the rainforest giant as both symbolically and physically stable. JSTOR Daily, 15 Nov. 2025 Efforts to slow deforestation – including in the mighty carbon sink that is the Amazon rainforest – have helped, but most countries will have to make major adjustments to their energy production and consumption practices over the coming years. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 14 Nov. 2025 Restoring ecosystems at scale, such as the oyster reefs around New York City, the Everglades of Florida, the world’s coral reefs, and the Amazon rainforest, will not only stabilize the climate. Tim Christophersen, Time, 13 Nov. 2025 Sophie met the sizable spider during her visit to the Amazon rainforest, making the stop to meet Indigenous leaders, including women who are fueling their communities through environmental and economic activities. Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025 The special-purpose highway Rogers referred to is a four-lane road built through the rainforest to Belém, which Brazilian authorities say was planned before the city’s COP bid. Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025 In his telling, this attack on limits is legible in a host of current phenomena, including mass immigration, free-market orthodoxy, the rise of AI, overseas labor exploitation, the clear-cutting of rainforests, and new ideas about gender. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025 World leaders are gathering in the home of the Amazon rainforest for the start of the COP30 climate conference. Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainforest was in 1900

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Cite this Entry

“Rainforest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainforest. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

rain forest

noun
1
: an often tropical woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall evergreen trees with tops forming a continuous layer

called also tropical rain forest

2

More from Merriam-Webster on rainforest

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