wandering

1 of 3

adjective

wan·​der·​ing ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce wandering (audio)
Synonyms of wanderingnext
: characterized by aimless, slow, or pointless movement: such as
a
: that winds or meanders
a wandering course
b
: not keeping a rational or sensible course : vagrant
c
: nomadic
wandering tribes
d
of a plant : having long runners or tendrils

wandering

2 of 3

noun

1
: a going about from place to place
—often plural
2
: movement away from the proper, normal, or usual course or place
—often plural

wandering

3 of 3

present participle of wander

Synonyms of wandering

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of wandering in a Sentence

Adjective your decidedly wandering essay loses its punch—stick to one theme a wandering carnival that visited small towns all over the South
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Some of those needles may include incredibly dim free-floating objects such as rogue planets or even small, wandering black holes, Benford said. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Never underestimate the power of novelty, especially in the wandering eyes of new-money millennials. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Why wandering can become dangerous HHS said approximately half of autistic children engage in wandering behavior at some point. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 And food was only part of the experience—the wandering was the real lesson, how to observe, ask questions, and pay attention. — Mimi Thorisson, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wandering

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wandering was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing wandering

Rhymes for wandering

See All Rhymes for wandering

Browse Nearby Words

wanderer
wandering
wandering albatross
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wandering. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

wandering

1 of 2 adjective
wan·​der·​ing ˈwän-də-riŋ How to pronounce wandering (audio)
: floating
a wandering spleen

wandering

2 of 2 noun
: movement of a tooth out of its normal position especially as a result of periodontal disease
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All