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
Vince Mulcahy, who sports a snow-white mustache and a slate-gray hunting vest, grew up in the Alaskan wilderness.
—Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
As a girl, the narrator lived on the island with her father, a marine biologist, and spent many of her days in the ocean with her best friend, Arielle, luxuriating in the semi-wilderness.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls more or less have been in the wilderness since former head coach Tom Thibodeau's relationship with the franchise deteriorated more than a decade ago.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Producer Brad Wood estimates each song has at least 130 tracks of guitar, all recorded at a remote Washington cabin where the duo’s amp noise could radiate through the surrounding wilderness.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wilderness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
As a girl, the narrator lived on the island with her father, a marine biologist, and spent many of her days in the ocean with her best friend, Arielle, luxuriating in the semi-wilderness.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Bulls more or less have been in the wilderness since former head coach Tom Thibodeau's relationship with the franchise deteriorated more than a decade ago.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Producer Brad Wood estimates each song has at least 130 tracks of guitar, all recorded at a remote Washington cabin where the duo’s amp noise could radiate through the surrounding wilderness.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 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 8 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
