Jump To:

• wilderness
  wilderness

  noun

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

  noun

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

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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

Synonym Usage

See desert ¹.

Etymology

Origin of wilderness

1150–1200; Middle English; Old English *wil ( d ) dēornes, equivalent to either wil ( d ) dēor wild beast ( see 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

Explanation

If you don’t mow your lawn all summer, don’t be surprised if your neighbors complain that it resembles a wilderness, a wild area that is not tended by humans. The wilderness is of course filled with many animals, but did you know that the name of an animal is hidden in the word wilderness? The word actually is a combination of wild plus the Old English word dēor, along with the ending -ness, used in nouns that refer to a certain condition. While dēor eventually turned into our modern word deer, it didn’t refer to the antlered Bambi we imagine. It was simply the word for “animal.”

Example Sentences

That includes my first wilderness campsite near Ford Point, where a several-thousand-pound elephant seal roused me from slumber with its jarring bark.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

In Ohio, land companies would sometimes grant wilderness tracts to homesteaders on the condition that they sow orchards as proof of their long-term commitment.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

“Tracker” is primarily set in the wilderness, making the move to California a fresh opportunity for the production to explore diverse landscapes for its backdrop.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Instead, the 20-year-old has had a transitional season spent largely in the wilderness at Everton, starting only four Premier League games and six in total, Dibling's action totalling 513 minutes.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Tall and lean with salt-and-pepper hair and a handlebar mustache, at first glance forty-eight-year-old Cherrie didn’t necessarily look like someone who had spent the last twenty-five years in the South American wilderness.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

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