desertification
/dɪˌzɝ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.45 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
6
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The process by which a geographic region becomes a desert, resulting from natural changes in climate or by human activity.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Desertification, as defined by the CCD, means "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.""
- "desertification – the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi-arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally productive soils, or climate change"
- "A first major shift in physical scientists' perception of the Sahel and desertification, defined as “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities” (United Nations 1994), occurred following the introduction in the early 1980s of novel remote sensing technology to monitor vegetation cover. […] Given the role of climate in desertification and regreening, resolving the attribution question (i.e., of land cover change to climatic or human factors) is of relevance to adaptation to climate change"
Etymology
Etymology tree English desert Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -ficātiō Old French -ificationbor. Middle English -ificacioun English -ification English desertification From desert + -ification (“process of becoming”).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɪˌzɝ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
- British English: /dɪˌzɜː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/