'deforestation' originates from the French word 'déforestation', where 'dé-' meant 'removal' and 'forest' referred to 'a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth'.

'déforestation' transformed into the English word 'deforestation' during the 19th century.

Initially, it meant 'removal of trees', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.