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Showing results for wildlife. Search instead for wildlife-rehab.
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.

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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.

The wildlife beauty contest gives the colourful kingfisher and common frog an equal chance of a place on the next series of Bank of England notes.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Ligon grew up in Ethel and spent summers during college rehabilitating wildlife in Costa Rica and Louisiana.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The findings, published in Conservation Letters, suggest that governments risk undermining conservation gains when they fail to address the long-term financial and social costs that wildlife recovery can place on local residents.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026

State Sen. Scott Sandall, who represents Box Elder County, went from unconditionally supporting Stratos to endorsing a new legislative study on data centers’ potential wildlife harms.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026

There were thirty-five team members, and most of them were Kenyans, including wildlife naturalists, scientists, doctors, and laborers.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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