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 wilderness is also stalking the beleaguered Duttons like a limpy gazelle ripe for the picking.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
And somewhere in the wilderness, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) remains free from her Catholic captors by traveling with her father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), but Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché) is still hot on her trail.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2025
Trump floats social media idea at Saudi summit Gabby Petito found in wilderness, dead by strangulation
Petito was found strangled to death on Sept. 19 after her body was left in the wilderness for nearly a month, Teton County coroner, Dr. Brent Blue, said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
This is the trapped subject, the voice crying out in the wilderness, seeking a response from the Everything but getting only the scornful bounce-back of itself.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
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Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
And somewhere in the wilderness, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) remains free from her Catholic captors by traveling with her father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), but Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché) is still hot on her trail.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2025
Trump floats social media idea at Saudi summit Gabby Petito found in wilderness, dead by strangulation
Petito was found strangled to death on Sept. 19 after her body was left in the wilderness for nearly a month, Teton County coroner, Dr. Brent Blue, said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
This is the trapped subject, the voice crying out in the wilderness, seeking a response from the Everything but getting only the scornful bounce-back of itself.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 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 4 Mar. 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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