wilding

1 of 2

noun

wild·​ing ˈwīl-diŋ How to pronounce wilding (audio)
1
a
: a plant growing uncultivated in the wild either as a native or an escape
especially : a wild apple or crab apple
b
: the fruit of a wilding
2
: a wild animal

wilding

2 of 2

adjective

: not domesticated or cultivated : wild

Examples of wilding in a Sentence

Adjective a herd of wilding mustangs
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
David Berkowitz and the barking dog, five teenagers wilding through the park, while the barking dog is the equivalent of wilding. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2021 On Kangaroo Island, restorative tourism opportunities include bird banding and re-wilding, ride-alongs to check remote cameras and monitor wildlife populations, and, depending on the season, helping with tree-planting programs for long-term habitat restoration. Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2021 Curious about urban greening, re-wilding and planning initiatives bringing nature into the ‘hood? Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2012 The public sphere, the public discourse—there’s a wilding of it, which happens whenever there’s a crisis of hegemony. I.O. Indigo Olivier, The New Republic, 20 Oct. 2022 Todd Woody has this insightful story on the re-wilding of a Marin County golf course, where streams are being uncovered and native grasses planted. Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022 Big Sur’s Esalen for things like re-wilding and couples’ tantric dance or The Ranch Malibu for a no-option philosophy, eight hours of exercise, and body-fat monitoring. Rebecca Misner, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Dec. 2019 Remember Craster, the nasty wilding who let the Night's Watch crash at his place in exchange for not asking questions about where all his sons went? Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2017 Remember Mance Rayder, leader of the Wildings who got burned alive in season five? Eliza Thompson, Cosmopolitan, 10 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wilding.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

wild entry 1 + -ing entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wilding was circa 1525

Dictionary Entries Near wilding

Cite this Entry

“Wilding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilding. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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