English · Word Candidate

wilderness

/ˈwɪldənəs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: wildernesses

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Uncultivated and unsettled land in its natural state inhabited by wild animals and with vegetation growing wild; (countable) a tract of such land; a waste or wild.

Noun

Examples

For ſtill he traueild through wide waſtfull ground, / That nought but deſert wilderneſſe ſhewed all around.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A place other than land (for example, the air or sea) that is uncared for, and therefore devoted to disorder or wildness.

Noun

Examples

For now I ſtand as one vpon a rocke, / Inuirond with a wildernes of ſea, / VVho markes the vvaxing tide, grovv vvaue by vvaue, / Expecting euer vvhen ſome enuious ſurge, / VVill in his briniſh bovvels ſvvallow him.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “wilderness” mean?

Uncultivated and unsettled land in its natural state inhabited by wild animals and with vegetation growing wild; (countable) a tract of such land; a waste or wild.

Is “wilderness” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.