wilderness

noun

wil·​der·​ness ˈwil-dər-nəs 

1

a(1)

: a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings

(2)

: an area essentially undisturbed by human activity together with its naturally developed life community

b

: an empty or pathless area or region

in remote wildernesses of space groups of nebulae are found

—G. W. Gray †1960

c

: a part of a garden devoted to wild growth

2

obsolete : wild or uncultivated state

3

a

: a confusing multitude or mass : an indefinitely great number or quantity

I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys

—William Shakespeare

b

: a bewildering situation

those moral wildernesses of civilized life

—Norman Mailer

Synonyms

• nature
• open
• open air
• out-of-doors
• outdoors
• wild

Examples of wilderness in a Sentence

She enjoys hikes through the wilderness.

released the wolf back into the wilderness

Recent Examples on the Web

And, if so, is the program doomed to a period in the wilderness? —Antonio Morales, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025

An earlier photo dump from the trip opened with the couple throwing up double middle fingers, with more images of Justin in the cold wilderness, rocking some Kurt Cobain-like oversized yellow shades and a furry hunting cap while sticking his tongue out and ghost riding his SUV. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2025

The fate of each untrained contestant in the wilderness lies in the hands of their family members back in HQ. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 14 Jan. 2025

In 2021, roughly a thousand homes burned near Boulder, Colo. Image Image Image And from the boreal forests of Canada to the redwood groves of Oregon, large fires have been incinerating vast areas of wilderness. —David Gelles, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from wildern wild, from Old English wilddēoren of wild beasts

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing wilderness

• wilderness area

Kids Definition

wilderness

noun

wil·​der·​ness ˈwil-dər-nəs 

: an area in which few people live that is not used for farming and is more or less in its natural state