wilderness

¹ American  

[wil-der-nis] / ˈwɪl dər nɪs /

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.

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Wilderness ² American  

[wil-der-nis] / ˈwɪl dər nɪs /

noun

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

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wilderness ¹ British  

/ 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

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Wilderness ² British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See desert ¹.

Etymology

Origin of wilderness

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

Example Sentences

Great crime fiction can take root almost anywhere—in a rock-strewn wilderness, a London legal sanctuary, or a swanky Manhattan apartment tower.

From The Wall Street Journal

But she went wide, selecting works dated from 1800 to 1991, in several styles and techniques, depicting the wilderness, the pastoral and the urban.

From The Wall Street Journal

Readers who brave the wilderness with these mismatched brothers—and a supporting cast of eccentric characters—are in for a grand adventure rendered in rich, atmospheric prose.

From The Wall Street Journal

She sees the splendor in land, water and wilderness and understands how to capture it with all the grace of a song.

From Salon

Inside this edition, Cranach's map presents the stations of the wilderness wanderings and the division of the Promised Land into twelve tribal regions.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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