wilderness

¹

[ wil-der-nis ]

noun

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

Wilderness

²

[ wil-der-nis ]

noun

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

wilderness

¹

/ ˈwɪldənɪs /

noun

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

Wilderness

²

/ ˈwɪldənɪs /

noun

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilderness¹

1150–1200; Middle English; Old English *wil ( d ) dēornes, equivalent to either wil ( d ) dēor wild beast ( wild, deer ) + -nes -ness, or wilddēoren wild, savage ( wilddēor + -en -en ² ) + ( -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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilderness¹

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

Synonym Study

See desert ¹.

Example Sentences

Whether we spend another century wandering in the wilderness of tyranny and bigotry is, in part, up to us.

From Salon

This makes it possible to use a satellite connection instead of terrestrial GSM networks, which guarantees coverage even in remote wilderness regions completely independent of local infrastructure.

From Science Daily

Palestinian land was often described as "wilderness" or "desert," and the Zionist slogan "a land without a people for a people without a land," used as early as 1843, was entirely explicit.

From Salon

The military camp remnants are already protected by wilderness or National Conservation Lands designations, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

One dives deep into the strained but anatomically accurate neck muscles and sharply delineated collar bones of St. Jerome, shown praying in the bleak wilderness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• back country
• desert
• forest
• jungle
• outback
• wasteland