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
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
William Shakespeare
b
: a bewildering situation
… those moral wildernesses of civilized life …—Norman Mailer
Norman MailerExamples of wilderness in a Sentence
She enjoys hikes through the wilderness.
released the wolf back into the wilderness
Recent Examples on the Web
Diaz-Twine and her daughter, Nina Twine, will serve as companions to Eric Rivera, Nina's boyfriend who ordinarily works as an autobody technician and will take on the wilderness alone.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
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, 16 Dec. 2025
According to Hanson, medical experts at the time advised police that Cremer could not have survived so many days in the wilderness under those conditions.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
When American travelers go to Australia, the first places on their list are probably Sydney and Melbourne, maybe Tasmania or the Outback for some wilderness, or Cairns, as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
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, 16 Dec. 2025
According to Hanson, medical experts at the time advised police that Cremer could not have survived so many days in the wilderness under those conditions.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
When American travelers go to Australia, the first places on their list are probably Sydney and Melbourne, maybe Tasmania or the Outback for some wilderness, or Cairns, as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
Cite this Entry
“Wilderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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