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
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
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
Find a little thrill by booking a journey with Eden Ethical Dog Sledding, which takes guests through some of the most pristine Vermont wilderness.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Constance Duffle, a paramedic in Siskiyou County at the Oregon border, serves a vast wilderness region woefully in need of health professionals.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Whereas North America contains vast wildernesses, there is barely an inch of the United Kingdom that hasn’t been cultivated or built on for centuries, and from the beginning Goldsworthy was concerned with the human presence within environments, including urban ones.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The guy who wandered the wilderness for seven years before holding a trophy this eighth season.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
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Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Constance Duffle, a paramedic in Siskiyou County at the Oregon border, serves a vast wilderness region woefully in need of health professionals.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Whereas North America contains vast wildernesses, there is barely an inch of the United Kingdom that hasn’t been cultivated or built on for centuries, and from the beginning Goldsworthy was concerned with the human presence within environments, including urban ones.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The guy who wandered the wilderness for seven years before holding a trophy this eighth season.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
Cite this Entry
“Wilderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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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