Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

wildlife

American  
[wahyld-lahyf] / ˈwaɪldˌlaɪf /

noun

  1. undomesticated animals living in the wild, including those hunted for food, sport, or profit.


adjective

  1. of, for, or abounding in wildlife.

    a wildlife preserve.

wildlife British  
/ ˈwaɪldˌlaɪf /

noun

  1. wild animals and plants collectively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wildlife

First recorded in 1930–35; wild + life

Explanation

Animals that aren't tamed or domesticated are collectively known as wildlife. One of the things people love about visiting the Galapagos Islands is seeing all the unusual wildlife. All of the wild animals that live in a particular area (and sometimes the plants as well) fall under the category of wildlife. If you're dedicated to protecting wildlife, it means you care about keeping native animals from being harmed by humans. A wildlife refuge or sanctuary is a place where animals can roam without being hunted, and native plants grow freely.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing wildlife

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This touch-sensing ability could help monitor wildlife movement, such as animals passing through a field.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

"I's a very different offering up there. You've still got beaches, but then you've got greenery and mountains and wildlife."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The presence of woodland ecosystems in southern Doggerland 16,000 years ago also suggests the area could have supported abundant wildlife and provided valuable resources for humans, including animals such as boars.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

Surrey Wildlife Trust has launched a new fundraising drive to help bring back local wildlife, including hedgehogs, frogs and toads.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

We learned that wildlife, like deer and butterflies, depend on native plants for survival, and if we remove the bushes and small trees along our coastlines, then hurricanes could cause increased coastal erosion.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas