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—
G. W. Gray †1960
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
William Shakespeare
b
: a bewildering situation
those moral wildernesses of civilized life—Norman Mailer
Norman MailerExamples of wilderness in a Sentence
She enjoys hikes through the wilderness.
released the wolf back into the wilderness
Recent Examples on the Web
The remote area was one of few wilderness districts in the Forest Service at the time, and the primitive requirements there forced employees to work closely and forged a deep sense of pride in their work, Williams said.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 May 2025
Everglades National Park Everglades City Experience Florida’s wild, untamed beauty at the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 31 May 2025
Bundled in a little blanket on a plush couch, Valerie doesn't quite look like a dog who recently survived more than 17 months in the Australian wilderness.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 30 May 2025
The story follows a lost robot who finds herself on a remote wilderness island and soon befriends the animals there, raising an orphaned gosling along the way.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
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Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 May 2025
Everglades National Park Everglades City Experience Florida’s wild, untamed beauty at the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 31 May 2025
Bundled in a little blanket on a plush couch, Valerie doesn't quite look like a dog who recently survived more than 17 months in the Australian wilderness.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 30 May 2025
The story follows a lost robot who finds herself on a remote wilderness island and soon befriends the animals there, raising an orphaned gosling along the way.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
Cite this Entry
“Wilderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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