sylvan

or sil·van

[ sil-vuhn ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or inhabiting the woods.
2. consisting of or abounding in woods or trees; wooded; woody:

   a shady, sylvan glade.

3. made of trees, branches, boughs, etc.

noun

1. a person dwelling in a woodland region.
2. a mythical deity or spirit of the woods.

sylvan

/ ˈsɪlvən /

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or consisting of woods or forests
2. living or located in woods or forests
3. idyllically rural or rustic

noun

1. an inhabitant of the woods, esp a spirit

Word History and Origins

Origin of sylvan¹

1555–65; < Latin sylvānus, spelling variant of silvānus, equivalent to silv ( a ) forest + -ānus -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of sylvan¹

C16: from Latin silvānus, from silva forest

Example Sentences

Officers responded to the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive after receiving reports that Bradley Minder had not been seen or heard from for several days, police said.

From Los Angeles Times

Officers responded Tuesday evening to the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive after receiving reports that 31-year-old Bradley Minder had not been seen or heard from for several days, the Riverside Police Department said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

In the sylvan acreage of cemeteries like Forest Lawn, we now give death the space to be just one more extreme lifestyle choice, where the body — tanned and tended in life — is, in the words of the British novelist Evelyn Waugh, “more chic in death than ever before.”

From Los Angeles Times

The chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett of the popular San Francisco restaurant Rintaro is known for bringing California flair and local, seasonal ingredients to traditional Japanese cuisine.

From New York Times

Sylvan Altieri said officers were patrolling the trail Tuesday afternoon, when a robbery was reported near Chancellor’s Row and then another in the 700 block of Edgewood Street NE minutes later.

From Washington Times