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

Murphy only wants to escape and regain custody of his daughter, Penny, but becomes entangled in Clancy’s perilous gold smuggling scheme, facing threats from both the treacherous wilderness and potential betrayal within his own group. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026

Less than 20 minutes later, the flames had spread to the nearby wilderness and more units were called in to respond to the growing brush fire on the north side of the highway, county officials said. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026

Given the area's natural resources and location amid the untouched wilderness, travelers should shoulder a certain level of responsibility when visiting. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026

Given the choice of Light Roast or Dark Roast questions, Bentley opted for a heftier Dark Roast and opened up about the challenges of shooting the film in the Washington wilderness. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026

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