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

The governor and environmental advocates say those proposals threaten the region's wilderness and water and nearly $1 billion in economic activity from outdoor recreation. — Beret Leone, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

The move would scrap 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule; the idea has been widely decried by environmental groups as risking the demise of some of the nation’s most crucial natural wildernesses. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

With no paved roads, wilderness trails and speedboats are the main modes of transportation. — Hannah Seligson, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026

At the final stop, so to speak, before Antarctica, the weather is harshly volatile, and in the wilderness surrounding the few small cities and towns, civilization dwindles almost to nothing. — Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 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