wilderness

[ wil-der-nis ]
/ ˈwɪl dər nɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR wilderness ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.
a tract of land officially designated as such and protected by the U.S. government.
any desolate tract, as of open sea.
a part of a garden set apart for plants growing with unchecked luxuriance.
a bewildering mass or collection.

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 -en2) + ( -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

synonym study for wilderness

1. See desert1.

Words nearby wilderness

wilde, oscar, wildean, wildebeest, wilder, wilder, thornton, wilderness, wilderness area, wilderness road, wildfire, wildflower, wildfowl

Definition for wilderness (2 of 2)

Wilderness
[ wil-der-nis ]
/ ˈwɪl dər nɪs /

noun

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

Words related to wilderness

outback, jungle, wasteland, desert, forest, boondocks, bush, hinterland, wild, waste, barrens, boonies

Example sentences from the Web for wilderness

British Dictionary definitions for wilderness (1 of 2)

wilderness
/ (ˈwɪldənɪs) /

noun

a wild, uninhabited, and uncultivated region
any desolate tract or area
a confused mass or collection
a voice in the wilderness or a voice crying in the wilderness a person, group, etc, making a suggestion or plea that is ignored
in the wilderness no longer having influence, recognition, or publicity

Word Origin for wilderness

Old English wildēornes, from wildēor wild beast (from wild + dēor beast, deer) + -ness; related to Middle Dutch wildernisse, German Wildernis

British Dictionary definitions for wilderness (2 of 2)

Wilderness
/ (ˈwɪldənɪs) /

noun

the Wilderness 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