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 exposure has helped forge a distinct cultural identity that prioritizes the integration of human infrastructure with elements of the wilderness. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Shot over 20 days in Utah and additional five in California, earned strong reviews centered on a teenager who is sent away to a wilderness camp for troubled boys dealing with addiction. —Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026

Pena hopes anybody who has hiked in or otherwise used wilderness in and around Orange County will speak up to protect the rule. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 9 June 2026

The latest camper from Mammoth Overland takes two of the brand's most creative launches of the recent past and fuses them together into a prepper-grade wilderness and apocalypse survival safe room built for immediate escape. —New Atlas, 9 June 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