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

Take it from us and pair it with wide-leg pants in a darker color or, if the Wild West is truly speaking to you, a popular cowboy boot. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

This Cowboy Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole lives up to its Wild West status, offering a tangy, spicy twist on the beloved original. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

Wild West movie ranch LA’s Melody Ranch has spent more than a century standing in for America’s Wild West. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

Green fears that rapid technological advances might lead to a genetic Wild West. — Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026

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