wildernesswil‧der‧ness /ˈwɪldənəs $ -dər-/ ●●○ noun [countable usually singular] 
the Alaskan wilderness► see thesaurus at country2a place that seems no longer used or cared for by anyone: The garden was a wilderness. The south side of the city had become a lawless wilderness.3in/from/out of the wilderness someone who is in the wilderness does not have power or is not involved in something in an important way at a particular time: the re-emergence of Richard Nixon from the political wilderness in 1968
WORD ORIGINwilderness
Origin:
Old English wildeornes ‘land where wild animals live’, from wild deor ‘wild animal’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But, above all, they can make forests and wilderness, at the same time that they are making energy.
- Each sovereign state has enacted legislation establishing national parks, scientific or scenic reserves and wilderness areas.
- He pushed on in swamp and wilderness through Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi territories.
- In these ancient, mountainous regions - the Alps and the Carpathians - the City stopped abruptly, edging the wilderness.
- She had no companion in this snow wilderness with its circles of wire.
- So I walked very softly up into the wilderness that Chimaera inhabited.
- They have climbed mountains and canoed for eight-day stretches in isolated wilderness.
- To the locals it was a wilderness they would rather have preserved for the hawks, the salmon and the mountaineers.
THESAURUS
an area of land controlled by its own government, president, king etc: · Thailand is a beautiful country.· Which country would you most like to visit?
a country, considered especially in relation to its people and its political and economic structure: · The events shocked the whole nation.· The US is the most powerful nation in the world.· Leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations attended the meeting.
a country considered as a political organization with its own government: · They believe that Scotland should be an independent sovereign state.· Most European states joined the Council of Europe.
a country that is very strong and important: · a meeting of the great powers· Britain is still a world power.
one of the most powerful countries in the world: · During the Cuban Missile Crisis there was a real danger of conflict between the two world superpowers.
literary a country – used in stories: · He told them about his journeys to foreign lands.· a traveller from a far-off land
WORD SETSabyss, nounalluvial, adjectivealluvium, nounalpine, adjectiveAmerican, adjectiveAntarctica, anticyclone, nounarchipelago, nounArctic, adjectivearid, adjectiveAsia, atlas, nounatoll, nounAustralasia, Australasian, adjectiveAustralia, avalanche, nounaxis, nounbank, nounbarometer, nounbarrier reef, nounbasin, nounbay, nounbayou, nounbeach, nounbearing, nounbed, nounbight, nounbluff, nounborder, nounborder, verbborderland, nounborderline, nounborough, nounbox canyon, nounBritish, adjectivebutte, nouncanyon, nouncape, nouncapital, nouncardinal point, nounCaribbean, adjectivecartography, nouncay, nounchain, nounchaparral, nounchart, nounchasm, nounchimney, nounChinese, adjectivecirrus, nounCIS, nouncliff, nounclimate, nounclimatic, adjectivecoastal, adjectivecoastline, nouncockney, nouncol, nouncold front, nouncommuter belt, nouncompass, nounconfluence, nouncontinent, nouncontinental, adjectivecontinental shelf, nouncontour, nounconurbation, nouncoordinate, nouncorridor, nouncorrie, nouncoterminous, adjectivecouncil estate, nouncountry, nouncounty, nouncounty town, nouncourse, nouncove, nouncrag, nouncraggy, adjectivecreek, nouncrevasse, nouncrevice, nouncumulus, nouncyclone, noundateline, noundelta, noundesert, noundesert island, noundevelopment, noundistrict, noundivide, noundown, adverbdune, noundust bowl, nouneast, nouneast, adjectiveeast, adverbeastbound, adjectiveeasterly, adjectiveeasterly, nouneastern, adjectiveEasterner, nouneasternmost, adjectiveeastwards, adverbelevation, nouneminence, nounenvirons, nounequatorial, adjectiveerode, verberosion, nounescarpment, nounestuary, nounEurope, nounextraterritorial, adjectiveeyot, nounface, nounfarmland, nounfeeder, nounfiord, nounfirth, nounfjord, nounflood plain, nounfluvial, adjectivefrontier, nounfrontiersman, noungale force, adjectivegap, noungeo-, prefixgeography, noungeophysics, noungeopolitics, noungeyser, nounglacial, adjectiveglaciation, nounglacier, nounglobe, noungoldfield, noungorge, noungrassland, nounGrecian, adjectivegreen belt, noungrid, noungrotto, noungroundwater, noungulch, noungulf, noungully, nounhead, nounheadland, nounheadwaters, nounheartland, nounhemisphere, nounhighland, adjectivehighlands, nounhigh water mark, nounhinterland, nounHome Counties, the, homeland, nounhurricane, noun-i, suffixIberian, adjectiveiceberg, nounice cap, nounice floe, nounice pack, nounice sheet, nouninhabitant, nouninland, adjectiveinland, adverbinlet, nouninner city, nouninshore, adverbinsular, adjectiveintercontinental, adjectiveInternational Date Line, nounisland, nounisle, nounislet, nounisobar, nounIsraeli, adjectiveIsraeli, nounisthmus, nounItalian, adjectiveItalianate, adjectiveItalo-, prefixJapanese, adjectivekey, nounknoll, nounlagoon, nounlake, nounlandlocked, adjectivelandmass, nounlandslide, nounlandslip, nounlat., Latin, adjectiveLatin America, nounLatin American, adjectivelatitude, nounlevee, nounlittoral, nounlong., longitude, nounlongitudinal, adjectivelough, nounlowlands, nounlow-lying, adjectivelow water mark, nounmagnetic north, nounmagnetic pole, nounmarsh, nounmarshland, nounmeander, verbMediterranean, adjectiveMercator projection, nounmeridian, nounmesa, nounMiddle America, nounmidtown, adjectivemonsoon, nounmoorland, nounmorass, nounmountain, nounmountainside, nounmountaintop, nounmouth, nounmudslide, nounmull, nounnarrows, nounnavigation, nounNE, neck, nounnor'-, prefixnorth, nounnorth, adjectivenorth, adverbNorth America, nounnortheast, nounnortheast, adjectivenortheasterly, adjectivenortheastern, adjectivenortheastwards, adverbnortherly, adjectivenorthern, adjectivenortherner, nounnorthernmost, adjectivenorthwards, adverbnorthwest, nounnorthwest, adjectivenorthwesterly, adjectivenorthwestern, adjectivenorthwestwards, adverbnotch, nounNW, NZ, oasis, nounoccidental, nounocean, nounonshore, adjectiveopenness, nounOrdnance Survey map, nounoriental, adjectiveoutcrop, nounoverspill, nounpack ice, nounpaddy, nounpalisade, nounpan-, prefixpanhandle, nounparallel, nounpeak, nounpeninsula, nounPersian, adjectivephysical geography, nounplain, nounplateau, nounpoint, nounpolar, adjectivepole, nounpolitical geography, nounpollutant, nounpop., populate, verbpopulation, nounprairie, nounprecipice, nounprecipitation, nounPrime Meridian, principality, nounprojection, nounpromontory, nounprovince, nounprovincial, adjectivepueblo, nounR, rainfall, nounrain forest, nounrain gauge, nounrainstorm, nounrange, nounravine, nounreef, nounreference, nounregion, nounregional, adjectiverelief map, nounreservoir, nounresettle, verbresidential, adjectiveresource, nounridge, nounrift valley, nounrise, verbriver, nounriver basin, nounriver bed, nounRoman, adjectiverotation, nounrugged, adjectiverun-off, nounrural, adjectivesand, nounsand bar, nounsandstorm, nounsandy, adjectivesavanna, nounScandinavian, nounscar, nounscarp, nounscree, nounscrubland, nounSE, seaboard, nounsea breeze, nounseafront, nounsea level, nounseaport, nounseaward, adjectivesection, nounsemitropical, adjectiveshelf, nounslough, nounsmog, nounsnowfield, nounsource, nounsouth, nounsouth, adjectivesouth, adverbSouth America, adjectivesoutheast, nounsoutheast, adjectivesoutheasterly, adjectivesoutheastern, adjectivesoutheastwards, adverbsoutherly, adjectivesouthern, adjectivesouthernmost, adjectivesouthwards, adverbsouthwest, nounsouthwest, adjectivesouthwesterly, adjectivesouthwestern, adjectivesouthwestwards, adverbspeleology, nounspit, nounspur, nounstrait, nounsubcontinent, nounsubtropical, adjectivesuburb, nounsuburban, adjectivesummit, nounsurvey, nounsurvey, verbSW, swamp, nountableland, nounterrain, nounterritory, nountidal, adjectivetidal wave, nountidewater, nountime zone, nountop, nountopography, nountor, nountornado, nountown, nountown centre, nountowpath, nountrack, nountract, nountrade route, nountrail, nountransatlantic, adjectivetranscontinental, adjectivetributary, nountropic, nountropical, adjectivetundra, nountyphoon, nounUK, the, uncharted, adjectiveup, adverbup-country, adjectiveuplands, nounupper, adjectiveupriver, adverbupstate, adjectiveupstream, adverbuptown, adverburban, adjectiveurbanized, adjectiveurban renewal, nounurban sprawl, nounUS, the, adjectivevalley, nounW, warm front, nounwaste, adjectivewasteland, nounwater, verbwatercourse, nounwaterfall, nounwaterfront, nounwaterhole, nounwatering place, nounwater meadow, nounwatershed, nounwater table, nounwaterway, nounweather vane, nounwest, nounwest, adjectiveWest, nounwestern, adjectiveWesterner, nounwesternmost, adjectivewestward, adverbwilderness, nounwolds, nounzoning, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY the re-emergence of Richard Nixon from the political wilderness in 1968COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
the re-emergence of Richard Nixon from the political wilderness in 1968· I slithered in his wake, looking up hopelessly at the great smooth wilderness rearing above us.· They went almost hopelessly into the great wilderness of trees where it seemed impossible to find anything.· For the first time ever, in a giant film format, you can journey to the Earth's last great wilderness.
· The subsequent phase between 1934 and 1939 signalled the return of the party from the political wilderness of sectarian isolationism.· He was perpetually in the political wilderness, often tossed out of office.· Yet here we are, Denis and Ted and I, and countless, nameless others, out in the political wilderness.
NOUN· I have consistently maintained that the canoe is the traditional craft for exploring wilderness areas without disturbing wildlife.· The one lingering question this year is when the high mountain wilderness areas will become accessible.· Each sovereign state has enacted legislation establishing national parks, scientific or scenic reserves and wilderness areas.· His prey is the charred remnants of a campfire set along a trail in the heart of this tinder-dry wilderness area.· Conservationists are unhappy about the prospect of conifer plantations taking over more wilderness areas of Britain.· Participants will also visit the adjacent Oceano sand dunes wilderness area.· The proliferation of this literature has so simplified going into our wilderness areas that readers are literally taken by the hand.· They take Missy on walks through cities and wilderness areas and have learned to forgo restaurant meals for picnics and room service.
VERB· One of the few voices crying in the wilderness was that of Farringdon member Gordon Wilson.
· The prince wandered the wilderness for many years.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1a large area of land that has never been developed or farmed: - What could I have done to keep him out of the wilderness?
the Alaskan wilderness► see thesaurus at country2a place that seems no longer used or cared for by anyone: The garden was a wilderness. The south side of the city had become a lawless wilderness.3in/from/out of the wilderness someone who is in the wilderness does not have power or is not involved in something in an important way at a particular time: the re-emergence of Richard Nixon from the political wilderness in 1968