deforestation

deforestation — noun

1. the process of clearing or destroying large areas of trees and other forest plan

1.nounB2
Definition

the process of clearing or destroying large areas of trees and other forest plants, often so the land can be used for farming, building houses, or industry

Example

The Amazon region has lost one fifth of its trees to deforestation in the last fifty years.

collocation: 'deforestation in [area]'; 'lost to deforestation'

Haruto wrote a paper on how deforestation changes the rainfall patterns across Southeast Asia.

noun as subject: deforestation + changes [environmental pattern]

Common collocations
  • large-scale deforestation
  • widespread deforestation
  • tropical deforestation
  • illegal deforestation
  • rapid deforestation
  • cause deforestation
  • prevent deforestation
  • stop deforestation
  • reduce deforestation
  • deforestation rate
  • deforestation impact
  • deforestation in the Amazon
  • deforestation of rainforests
Synonyms
  • forest clearing

    more neutral and describes the physical act rather than the resulting loss

  • forest destruction

    stronger negative tone; emphasises permanent ecological damage

  • tree removal

    narrower scope — can refer to removing individual trees, not necessarily whole forests

Antonyms
  • reforestation

    the replanting of trees in an area that was previously forested

  • afforestation

    planting new forests in areas that were not forested before

Grammar Patterns

deforestation + of + [area]

cause/prevent/lead to + deforestation

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — rarely used in plural form. Common in environmental science, policy, and新闻报道. Frequently paired with a geographical area using 'of' (deforestation of the Amazon) or 'in' (deforestation in Indonesia).

Common Mistakes

The deforestations in that area are growing.
Deforestation in that area is growing.
deforestation is an uncountable noun and does not take a plural form.
Deforestation means cutting trees.
Deforestation refers to the large-scale removal of trees from forest areas.
the definition needs to indicate scale and the transformation of land use.

Word family

  • deforest
    verbB2
  • reforestation
    nounB2
  • afforestation
    nounC1
  • forested
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Deforestation refers to the large-scale removal of forest cover, usually for agriculture, development, or industry. Forest clearing is a more neutral term that describes the physical act of cutting down trees in a given area without necessarily implying permanent loss. Forest destruction carries a stronger negative charge, highlighting the irreversible damage to the ecosystem. Tree removal is narrower in scope and can apply to a single tree or a small group, not an entire forest. Logging is the commercial cutting of trees for timber, which may or may not lead to permanent deforestation depending on whether the area is replanted. For example: 'The logging company replanted the site after harvesting, so it did not result in permanent deforestation.' While 'Deforestation in Borneo has destroyed the habitat of the orangutan.'

forest clearingforest destructiontree removallogging ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Verbs

Phrases

  • deforestation of the Amazon
  • deforestation in Southeast Asia
  • deforestation of tropical rainforests

Adjectives

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix 'de-' (meaning removal or reversal) to 'forest', plus the noun suffix '-ation'. The word entered English in the late 19th century as environmental awareness of forest loss grew. 'Forest' itself comes from Old French, tracing back to the Latin 'foris' meaning 'outside' — originally referring to land outside the settled area.