Meaning & use
wildlife
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Meaning
noununcountable
Animals and plants that live naturally in the wild, not kept or grown by people.
Grammar: No plural form: say 'wildlife', not 'wildlifes'. It takes a singular verb: 'Wildlife is protected here.'
Patterns
- wildlife in something
- protect wildlife
- wildlife conservation
The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer and eagles.
Pollution is harming wildlife in the river.
We went on a safari to see African wildlife up close.
Common combinations
- wildlife conservation
- She works in wildlife conservation, protecting endangered species.
- wildlife park
- The children loved feeding the animals at the wildlife park.
- wildlife habitat
- Cutting down the forest destroyed the wildlife habitat.
- protect wildlife
- New laws were introduced to protect wildlife from hunters.
- local wildlife
- We often see local wildlife like foxes and rabbits in our garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fauna
- More technical and formal; often used in scientific writing to mean the animals of a particular region.
- animals
- A general word for all animals, including pets and farm animals; 'wildlife' specifically means animals living freely in nature.
Word family
- wild adjective
- Living or growing in nature, not controlled by people.
- wilderness noun
- A wild natural area where few people live.
Commonly confused: wildlife or wild life?
wildlife vs wild life
Written as two words, 'wild life' means a life that is exciting and uncontrolled, not animals in nature. The one-word form is for animals.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Wildlife' is uncountable and takes a singular verb, so 'is' is correct. 'Are' is wrong because the noun is singular in grammar, and 'wildlifes' is not a word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wildlife”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.