Meaning & use

wilderness

noun·Academic

A large area of land that remains in its natural state, largely untouched by human development.

See it in a sentence

They hiked for days through the wilderness without seeing another person.

Conservationists are working to protect the last remaining wilderness areas.

A note on using this word

Wilderness also appears figuratively, as in 'political wilderness,' meaning a period of being ignored or out of power.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “wilderness”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.