Dictionary

disafforestation en · NOUN

Etymology

From post-classical Latin disafforestātiō (13th cent.), from the participial stem of Latin disafforestō. By surface analysis, disafforest + -ation.

Meanings

1. (countable, historical, uncountable) The change in the legal status of an area from forest to that of normal land, entailing the loss of forest laws.
   • Disafforestation and enclosure could thus be regarded as a national duty, a kindness in disguise to the idle poor, as well as of more immediate benefit to the rich encloser. 1972, Christopher Hill, The World Turned Upside Down, Folio Society, published 2016, page 37:
2. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Deforestation.

Forms

Relateds

disafforestment