forest

1 of 2

noun

for·​est ˈfȯr-əst 

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

ˈfȯr-ə-stᵊl 

ˈfär-

adjective

or forestial

fə-ˈre-stē-əl 

fȯ-,

-ˈres-chəl,

-ˈresh-

forested

ˈfȯr-ə-stəd 

ˈfär-

adjective

forest

2 of 2

verb

forested; foresting; forests

transitive verb

: to cover with trees or forest

land densely forested with firs

forestation

ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən 

ˌfär-

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• forestland
• timber
• timberland
• wood(s)
• woodland

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

Noun

The team is currently modeling at the level of the woodland stand, a unit of forest made up of a relatively uniform group of trees, to assess the optimal distance between trees. —Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024

Sitting in ancient Cumbria—the Lake District is a mighty UNESCO World Heritage Site drawing over 18 million visitors each year, home to the largest national park in England, covering over 880 square miles of terrain with towering mountains, serene lakes, and lush forests. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Verb

Such a broad geographic range might hint that A. afarensis lived in a variety of habitats that ranged from closed and forested to more open and somewhat dry, as well, which has important implications for how anthropologists reconstruct the lives of the hominins. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024

The state is also undertaking difficult but necessary work to improve management of its vitally important groundwater resources, as well as the headwater forests that supply some two-thirds of the state’s water. —Letitia Grenier, The Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2024

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

Phrases Containing forest

• cloud forest
• forest floor
• forest green
• forest ranger
• forest tent caterpillar
• gallery forest
• miss the forest for the trees
• national forest
• not see the forest for the trees
• rain forest
• temperate rain forest
• tropical rain forest

Kids Definition

forest

noun

for·​est

ˈfȯr-əst,

ˈfär-

: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large area