From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwildernesswil‧der‧ness /ˈwɪldənəs $ -dər-/ ●●○ noun [countable usually singular] 1 SGGROW PLANTS, VEGETABLES ETCa large area of land that has never been developed or farmed the Alaskan wilderness► see thesaurus at country2 CONTROLa 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.3 → in/from/out of the wilderness
Examples from the Corpus
wilderness• To the locals it was a wilderness they would rather have preserved for the hawks, the salmon and the mountaineers.• 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.• They have climbed mountains and canoed for eight-day stretches in isolated wilderness.• She had no companion in this snow wilderness with its circles of wire.• In these ancient, mountainous regions - the Alps and the Carpathians - the City stopped abruptly, edging the wilderness.• So I walked very softly up into the wilderness that Chimaera inhabited.Origin wilderness Old English wildeornes “land where wild animals live”, from wild deor “wild animal” 