wilderness

play

noun wil·der·ness \ ˈwil-dər-nəs \

Definition of wilderness

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
—G. 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

See wilderness defined for English-language learners

See wilderness defined for kids

Examples of wilderness in a Sentence

She enjoys hikes through the wilderness.
released the wolf back into the wilderness

Recent Examples of wilderness from the Web

Why did the owner pick you as her interior wilderness guide?

— douglas brenner, House Beautiful, "This Quirky Adirondacks Lake House Is the Opposite of "Roughing It"," 13 July 2017
According to the very serious Discovery Channel voice-over, these folks were born and raised far from civilization in the wilderness of Alaska.

— emily fehrenbacher, Alaska Dispatch News, "In new season of ‘Alaskan Bush People,’ Browns travel to California after Ami’s cancer diagnosis," 5 July 2017
Visits to a birch syrup maker, an oyster farm and the famous cooking school at Tutka Bay Lodge are interspersed with wilderness adventures including dog sledding on a glacier and wildlife watching.

— star-telegram, star-telegram.com, "Where Cool is Hot: Cool destinations are the hottest trend this summer," 5 July 2017
Crude oil might be the first thing to spring to mind but its vast wilderness also presents an economic opportunity, and the government wants to cash in.

— Bloomberg.com, "Investing in Canada's Wilderness," 30 June 2017
These were the leaders among the pioneers that came to the wilderness and tamed it.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Pioneers tamed wilderness to give us Ohio, Kentucky," 28 June 2017
In traditional Bachelorette fashion, Rachel decided to settle the long-running, borderline obsessive feud between Kenny and Lee during a two-on-one set in the wilderness.

— vanityfair.com, "The Bachelorette’s Race-Focused Feud Was Both Disappointing and Unsurprising," 28 June 2017
Two-On-One Date Kenny and Lee are air lifted to an undisclosed location in the Norwegian wilderness to duke it out for Rachel’s love.

— melissa locker, Time, "The Bachelorette Recap: Hot Tubs and Handball in the Norwegian Wood," 26 June 2017
Larkins worked on both sides of the border with the 93rd Engineers, one of several black regiments sent north to help cut and hack through virgin wilderness.

— rachel d'oro, The Seattle Times, "Alaska lauds black soldiers’ work on famed WWII highway," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wilderness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wilderness

Middle English, from wildern wild, from Old English wilddēoren of wild beasts

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

wilderness Synonyms

Synonyms

open, open air, outdoors, out-of-doors, wild, nature

Related Words

backwoods, bush, country, frontier, hinterland, sticks, up-country; outside, without; badland, barren, desert, waste, wasteland

Other Wood Production Terms

cord, lumber, punk

WILDERNESS Defined for English Language Learners

wilderness

play

noun

Definition of wilderness for English Language Learners

: a wild and natural area in which few people live

WILDERNESS Defined for Kids

wilderness

play

noun wil·der·ness \ ˈwil-dər-nəs \

Definition of wilderness for Students

:an area in its natural state in which few or no people live

Learn More about wilderness

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wilderness Spanish Central: Translation of wilderness Nglish: Translation of wilderness for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wilderness for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up wilderness? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

wilderness

Definition of wilderness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of wilderness in a Sentence

Recent Examples of wilderness from the Web

Origin and Etymology of wilderness

wilderness Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Wood Production Terms

WILDERNESS Defined for English Language Learners

wilderness

Definition of wilderness for English Language Learners

WILDERNESS Defined for Kids

wilderness

Definition of wilderness for Students

Learn More about wilderness

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

Words of the Year: 1066