woodland
noun
land covered with woods or trees.
woodland
1 American
[wood-land, -luhnd, wood-luhnd]
/ ˈwʊdˌlænd, -lənd, ˈwʊd lənd /
noun
adjective
Woodland
2
American
[wood-luhnd]
/ ˈwʊd lənd /
noun
woodland
British
/ ˈwʊdlənd /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of woodland
Explanation
Woodland is a natural habitat with many plants and trees. Therefore, a zebra would not be considered a woodland animal, but a deer would fit the bill. You can use woodland as a noun, or as an adjective to describe things that have something to do with this particular kind of land, like woodland animals or a woodland habitat. Woodlands usually feature trees, grasses, shrubs, and other plants. If you're walking in the woods and the trees almost completely block the sunlight, you're in a forest, not a woodland. The Old English version was wudulond.
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 samples contained pollen and plant waxes associated with humid West African rainforests, while very low levels of grass pollen suggested the site was surrounded by dense woodland rather than a thin strip of forest.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
They reach their greatest densities in the UK's woods where many thousands of bulbs can exist in one woodland, creating the incredible blue carpets associated with spring.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
They are associated with ancient woodland and often used in combination with other species as a clue that a wood is ancient.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
"The thought that there might not be an oak woodland to walk into - the thought that there might not be a bluebell wood for my children to see - is too awful," he said.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
The smoking zone passed under the highway and fanned out through a neighboring woodland and up towards St. Ignatius Catholic Church on a knoll above the town.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
