wilderness
noun
wil·der·ness
ˈwil-dər-nəs
1
a(1)
: a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings
(2)
: an area essentially undisturbed by human activity together with its naturally developed life community
b
: an empty or pathless area or region
… in remote wildernesses of space groups of nebulae are found …—George W. Gray †1960
c
: a part of a garden devoted to wild growth
2
obsolete
: wild or uncultivated state
3
a
: a confusing multitude or mass : an indefinitely great number or quantity
… I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.—William Shakespeare
b
: a bewildering situation
… those moral wildernesses of civilized life …—Norman Mailer
Cite this Entry
“Wilderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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