deforestation

noun

de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce deforestation (audio)
-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 Image Image With the population of the Sunshine Coast projected to increase more than 50 percent to about half a million people in the 25 years to 2041, deforestation is happening at speed. Natasha Frost David Maurice Smith, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Cocoa is responsible for 7.5% of the EU’s contribution to global deforestation, according to BloombergNEF. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 So far, Lula has succeeded, cutting deforestation by 34% halfway through 2023. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The study suggests that 10% to 47% of the landscape is at risk of transitioning away from rainforest by 2050 if warming and rates of deforestation aren’t dramatically curbed. Evan Bush, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 That, in turn, could unleash more deforestation around the world as land is cleared to backfill food production displaced in the United States, Searchinger said. Evan Halper, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023 According to the Council on Foreign Relations, deforestation has destroyed 20% of the Amazon. Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Building an economy around stingless bees, which pollinate much of the Amazon’s native flora, is a creative way to fight deforestation, said Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist and founder of Amazon Research Internacional. Rosa Chávez Yacila, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 And producing jet fuel from crops other than corn, such as palm oil or soy, would probably be an even worse idea than using ethanol; the demand for these crops is already a huge driver of deforestation. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2023

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

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deforestation was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near deforestation

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

deforestation

noun
de·​for·​es·​ta·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce deforestation (audio)
-ˌfär-
: the action or process of clearing an area of forests
also : the state of having been cleared of forests
deforest verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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