wilderness

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A wild, natural area where few or no people live.

   They hiked deep into the wilderness, far from any road.

2. 2
   noun

   A period of being out of power or out of favor, especially in politics.

   After years in the political wilderness, the party finally returned to government.

From Middle English wildernes, wildernesse (“desolate or uninhabited place, desolation”) [and other forms], and then either: * from Middle English wilderne (“deserted or uninhabited place, wilderness; land not yet settled”) [and other forms] (from Old English wilddeōren (“savage, wild”); see below) + -nes, -nesse (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting qualities or states); or * from Old English *wildēornes, *wilddēornes, either from wilddēor (“wild animal”) [and other forms] or wilddēoren (“savage, wild”) (from wilddēor + -en (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘consisting of; material…

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