Afforested

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An area that has been transformed into a forested region through active human efforts to plant trees and cultivate growth
2. Land that has been intentionally converted to a forest ecosystem by sowing or planting trees to enhance biodiversity and habitats
3. A region that has been deliberately transformed into a forested space by human activity involving the planting and nurturing of trees for ecological purposes

Etymology: In the 16th century, "afforest" entered English from Medieval Latin "afforestare," built from Latin "ad" ("towards") and "foresta," the source of "forest." The sense that survives today is a later development. In its early English use, to afforest land meant to place it under forest law, a set of royal hunting regulations that could apply to open heath or farmland as well as to woodland. The tree-planting meaning came later. The "-ed" ending simply marks the past tense and past participle of that verb, so "afforested" describes land that has been converted into woodland by planting.

Synonyms: reforested, planted, wooded, tree-covered, green

Antonyms: deforested, cleared, barren, desolate, stripped