Wild West

noun

variants or less commonly wild west

1

the Wild West : the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness

stories about the Wild West

2

: something that is chaotic and uncontrolled especially due to a lack of regulation or oversight

… mulling the idea of regulating an industry that has up until now been something of a Wild West.

—Michelle McQuigg

The online ecosystem … is a Wild West of information and misinformation that is largely unmonitored, distributed in an instant, and posted by anyone.

—Alan Marcus

Wild West adjective

or less commonly wild west

a bar with a Wild West theme

a wild west situation/approach

Examples of Wild West in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, visitors leave pebbles and coins at the marker for Wild West legend Wyatt Earp, who died in 1929, in a nod to the Jewish tradition of marking a visit to a grave at the Hills of Eternity Memorial Park. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025

The Red Ghost The Red Ghost is a legendary figure from Arizona's Wild West days, a mysterious creature that terrorized the rugged desert in the late 19th century. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Subsequent play themes—Pirates, Islanders, Wild West, Adventurers—reinforced Eurocentric and colonial perspectives. —JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025

Home to both the popular Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming is known for its charming towns, lakes, mountains, and Wild West culture. —Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Wild West

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

Wild West

noun

: the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness