noun
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the science of planting and caring for trees
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the planting and management of forests
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rare forest land
Etymology
Origin of forestry
From the Middle French word foresterie, dating back to 1685–95. See forest, -ry
Explanation
The practice of managing or caring for woodlands is known as forestry. If you like the sound of all of those trees, some jobs associated with forestry include conservationist, park ranger, and timber manager. The word forestry, defined in the 17th century as "privilege of a royal forest," comes from the Medieval Latin forestem silvam, "the outside woods." By the mid-1800s, the word began to be used for "science of managing forests," a meaning it still holds today. The term actually covers a lot of (heavily forested) ground, including preserving endangered trees, protecting the habitats of animals that depend on forests, and keeping humans safe from forest fires.
Vocabulary lists containing forestry
Africa - Introductory
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Canada - Introductory
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Canada - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The real question is whether much higher doses of the chemical could be problematic for agricultural, forestry, and similar workers who spray the stuff on a daily basis.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
Moorland, forestry and rural environments were "extremely vulnerable", with even small flames having "devastating consequences", Dyson said.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
Yet since 2014, the "community forestry" mechanism has allowed them to acquire their own concessions indefinitely -- each potentially stretching to up 50,000 hectares -- provided they are managed sustainably.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Deere also now sees small agriculture and turf and construction and forestry net sales each increasing 15% for the fiscal year, up from its prior forecast of 10% growth for both segments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
There was some legal jargon, but I grasped this: She committed J.T. and Digger to the custody of juvenile services—to nine months in a forestry camp for juvenile offenders out in western Maryland.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
