Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to disafforest

to disafforest

9.9
To remove trees or change the official status of land so it is no longer a forest
  • verb
  • /ˌdɪsəˈfɔrɪst/
  • Archaic
translation icon : deforestar
  • The king issued an order to disafforest several royal parks, opening them for settlement.

Examples

  • Within a decade, the government moved to disafforest the land for agricultural use.

  • The government plans to disafforest several areas for new developments.

  • Plans to disafforest parts of the ancient woodland sparked considerable local opposition.

  • They disafforested the land to make way for agriculture.

  • The government plans to disafforest parts of the national park to create space for agriculture.

  • After years of debate, the town decided to disafforest the nearby woodlands for new housing developments.

  • In order to manage the area's resources better, officials need to disafforest the land designated as forest.

Synonyms

to deforest
vsto disafforest
3 6.0

To cut down most trees in an area so very few remain

can instead mean removing legal forest status rather than cutting most trees
to clear-cut
vsto disafforest
  • Specialized
2 6.1

To cut down all the trees in an area at once

does not require trees to be removed all at once
to disforest
vsto disafforest
9.9

To cut down all trees in an area to use the land

also can mean taking land out of legal forest status

Antonyms

to afforest
  • Specialized
8.6

To plant trees on land that is not a forest to make a new forest

How Wooded

to thin out
  • Informal
5 3.5
fell
7.0
to clear
∞ 1.5
to disafforest
  • Archaic
9.9
to deforest
3 6.0

Surface Forms

disafforest infinitive
disafforested past
disafforested past participle
disafforesting present participle
disafforests third person singular

Morphology

disafforest = afforest (semi-transparent) = dis + af + forest

For a learner who knows 'afforest', adding 'dis-' gives a straightforward reversal meaning: remove forest cover or forest status.

Etymology

Disafforest combines dis- meaning 'remove' and afforest (from forest) meaning 'to make into a forest', so it is like 'undoing' a forest. That's why to disafforest is to take away trees or to remove land's status as a forest, opening it for other uses.