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 …

—George 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 of wilderness

• wild
• desert
• country
• outdoors

Examples of wilderness in a Sentence

She enjoys hikes through the wilderness.

released the wolf back into the wilderness

Recent Examples on the Web

Across his hometown of Greenville, the out-of-the-way North Carolina city where Donaldson has headquartered his company, another 70 or so people are trapped, of their own volition, in a grocery store, the wilderness, or one of the studios Donaldson has built on his sprawling corporate campus. —Sean Gregory, Time, 6 May 2026

Six Flags will retheme the Whistlestop Train to Taz’s Tasmanian Train Tours, which will offer exploration of the island’s wilderness. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026

In preparation for the Alaskan wilderness, the Hoffmans and their crew shop for bear guns, bid their wives farewell, and are prayed over by a local pastor (who decides, at the last minute, to join them). —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

The show still leans too heavily on hallucinations, and the early episodes misjudge what’s appealing to the viewers (Alexa Barajas’ Mari moves to the center of the wilderness action, while there’s an entire B-story in the present about Shauna’s family karma). —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 May 2026

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