Wild West

American  

noun

1. the western frontier region of the U.S., before the establishment of stable government.

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Wild West British  

noun

1. the western US during its settlement, esp with reference to its frontier lawlessness

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Etymology

Origin of Wild West

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Wild West

As they were conceived before regulations were introduced in 1991, they said they were part of the generation of children created during sperm donation's "Wild West" period.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

The City of Angels — or Lo Sang — was the deadliest city in not only the Wild West, but the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

It reminds me of the old joke about the guy in the Wild West who, before he was hanged for horse stealing, said “This will be a real lesson to me,” mournfully, from the scaffold.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

The prediction markets have spent a lot of energy of late angling to convince people that they are not the complete and total Wild West that they have often appeared to be.

From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2026

Colonel William Cody—Buffalo Bill—sought a concession for his Wild West show, newly returned from a hugely successful tour of Europe, but the fair’s Committee on Ways and Means turned him down on grounds of “incongruity.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson