rewilding

American  

[ree-wahyl-ding] / riˈwaɪl dɪŋ /

noun

1. the process of introducing animals or plants to their original habitat or one similar.

2. the process of returning land to an earlier, more natural state.

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rewilding British  

/ riːˈwaɪldɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of returning areas of land to a wild state, including the reintroduction of animal species that are no longer naturally found there

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Etymology

Origin of rewilding

First recorded in 1990–95; rewild ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

For a decade, researchers have been working to reintroduce 12 other endemic species to Floreana as part of a rewilding program.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Since Paris restricted the use of pesticides during the 2010s, an extraordinary rewilding has taken place in the cemetery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

The cuts follow the sale this week of the Kinrara rewilding estate in the Highlands, which Brewdog bought for £8.8m in 2020 and named the "Lost Forest".

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2025

If governments and the legal system won’t nurture these waters, we must seek out and support rewilding efforts on our own.

From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025

Det Insp Mark Harrison, of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which supports wildlife crime enforcement across the UK, said he loved nature and visiting rewilding locations but "it has to be done properly".

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025