Illustration of wisteria
wisteria
noun
wis·te·ria
wi-ˈstir-ē-ə 
variants
or less commonly wistaria
: any of a genus (Wisteria) of mostly woody leguminous vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that have pinnately compound leaves and long racemes of showy blue, white, purple, or rose papilionaceous flowers and that include several (such as W. sinensis and W. floribunda) grown as ornamentals
Examples of wisteria in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Magnolia trees brighten the squares of Notting Hill, while wisteria climbs the façades of Chelsea townhouses.
—
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
This tree has large leaves and fragrant, purple-pink blooms, which resemble wisteria, in spring.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
Cynthia breezed into the kitchen in a vague cloud of her signature wisteria scent.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
These sleek and convenient incense sticks are tucked into a matchbook and come in a variety of scents, including peony, Japanese cyprus, and Japanese wisteria.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wisteria
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Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
This tree has large leaves and fragrant, purple-pink blooms, which resemble wisteria, in spring.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
Cynthia breezed into the kitchen in a vague cloud of her signature wisteria scent.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
These sleek and convenient incense sticks are tucked into a matchbook and come in a variety of scents, including peony, Japanese cyprus, and Japanese wisteria.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wisteria
Cite this Entry
“Wisteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisteria. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wisteria
noun
wis·te·ria
wis-ˈtir-ē-ə
: any of a genus of mostly woody vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that belong to the legume family and have leaves with numerous leaflets and showy blue, white, purple, or rose flowers in long hanging clusters
Etymology
named for Caspar Wistar 1761–1818 American physician
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