noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/dɪˌzɜː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/dɪˌzɝ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
1
noun
Meaning 1
The process by which a geographic region becomes a desert, resulting from natural changes in climate or by human activity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert; is usually caused by climate change or by destructive use of the land
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the dust storms in Korea are the result of rapid desertification in China
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: geological process, geologic process
History
Etymology
From desert + -ification (“process of becoming”).
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَصَحُّر
(taṣaḥḥur)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Belarusian:
апустыньванне
(apustynʹvannje)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Catalan:
desertificació
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Catalan:
desertització
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Chinese Mandarin:
沙漠化
(shāmòhuà)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Chinese Mandarin:
荒漠化
(huāngmòhuà)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Dutch:
verwoestijning
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Dutch:
woestijnvorming
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Finnish:
aavikoituminen
— process by which a region becomes a desert
French:
désertification
— process by which a region becomes a desert
German:
Desertifikation
— process by which a region becomes a desert
German:
fortschreitende Wüstenbildung
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Greek:
ερημοποίηση
(erimopoíisi)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Hungarian:
elsivatagosodás
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Italian:
desertificazione
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Kazakh:
шөлдену
(şöldenu)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Kazakh:
шөлейттену
(şöleittenu)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Kazakh:
шөлге айналу
(şölge ainalu)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Korean:
사막화
(samakhwa)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Macedonian:
опустинување
(opustinuvanje)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Malay:
penggurunan
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Malay:
desertifikasi
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Nepali:
मरुभूमिकरण
(marubhūmikaraṇ)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Occitan:
desertificacion
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Polish:
pustynnienie
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Portuguese:
desertificação
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Romanian:
desertificare
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Romanian:
desertizare
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Romanian:
desertificație
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Romanian:
desertizație
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Russian:
опусты́нивание
(opustýnivanije)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Russian:
дезертифика́ция
(dezertifikácija)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Spanish:
desertificación
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Spanish:
desertización
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Swedish:
ökenspridning
— process by which a region becomes a desert
Ukrainian:
опустелювання
(opustelûvannâ)
— process by which a region becomes a desert
