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

This is the fifth dispatch, from the Superstition wilderness to the Kelvin Trailhead. —Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 17 Nov. 2025

Surrounded by the vast Adirondack wilderness, this stunning mountain has hosted two winter olympic games thanks to its massive vertical drop (3,430 feet—the largest in the northeast). —Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 17 Nov. 2025

The peaks and wilderness that surround you are their ancestral lands. —Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025

The filmmaking team constructed a period-authentic village along with sets, wardrobe and props, while locals guided them to undisturbed wilderness locations. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025

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