Greenifying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making a place, product, or process more environmentally sustainable or eco-friendly ; transforming an area by planting trees, grass, or other vegetation to create green space
2. Rendering something more ecologically responsible or sustainable ; turning barren or urban land into parkland or planted areas
3. Improving the environmental impact of a business, city, or product ; adding plants and vegetation to developed or neglected land

Etymology: "Greenifying" is the present participle of "greenify," which is formed from the adjective "green" and the suffix "-ify," a common English ending that turns adjectives and nouns into verbs meaning "to make" or "to cause to become" something. Put together, "greenify" means to make a place or thing green, or more loosely, to make it more environmentally friendly. The "-ify" suffix itself came into English through French from Latin "-ificare," a verb-forming element rooted in "facere," meaning "to make" or "to do." Words like "simplify," "clarify," and "magnify" follow the same pattern, so "greenifying" is a fairly transparent construction. The base word "green," by contrast, is an ancient Germanic word with a long history of describing both the colour of growing plants and, in figurative uses, freshness or inexperience.

Synonyms: revegetate, landscape, afforest

Antonyms: desertify, devastate