wilderness

¹

[wil-der-nis]

noun

1. a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.

2. a tract of land officially designated as such and protected by the U.S. government.

3. any desolate tract, as of open sea.

4. a part of a garden set apart for plants growing with unchecked luxuriance.

5. a bewildering mass or collection.

Wilderness

²

[wil-der-nis]

noun

1. a wooded area in NE Virginia: several battles fought here in 1864 between armies of Grant and Lee.

wilderness

¹

/ ˈwɪldənɪs /

noun

1. a wild, uninhabited, and uncultivated region

2. any desolate tract or area

3. a confused mass or collection

4. a person, group, etc, making a suggestion or plea that is ignored

5. no longer having influence, recognition, or publicity

Wilderness

²

/ ˈwɪldənɪs /

noun

1. the barren regions to the south and east of Palestine, esp those in which the Israelites wandered before entering the Promised Land and in which Christ fasted for 40 days and nights

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilderness¹

1150–1200; Middle English; Old English *wil ( d ) dēornes, equivalent to either wil ( d ) dēor wild beast ( wild, deer ) + -nes -ness, or wilddēoren wild, savage ( wilddēor + -en -en ² ) + ( -n ) es -ness; probably reinforced by Middle English wildernes, genitive of wildern wilderness (noun use of Old English wilddēoren ), in phrases like wildernes land land of wilderness

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilderness¹

Old English wildēornes, from wildēor wild beast (from _wild + dēor beast, _deer ) + _-ness ; related to Middle Dutch wildernisse, German Wildernis

Synonym Study

See desert ¹.

Example Sentences

“It is almost time for me to run away, back home to the wilderness. I am sorry that I must leave, but you will all be well cared for when I am gone, I promise.”

Read more on Literature

A solo oboe was a prophetic voice in the wilderness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Renshaw reached a maiden ODI half-century after being called up for the series following more than two years in the international wilderness.

Read more on Barron's

On a fishing trip, Nick gets off the train in his boyhood terrain, the wilderness of northern Michigan, and finds himself in a burnt, desolate, war-like landscape.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some members of Congress, the National Park Service and environmental groups at the time opposed the idea of returning the land to Native Americans, claiming that doing so would harm the protected wilderness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• back country 
• desert 
• forest 
• jungle 
• outback 
• wasteland