n.1. An unsettled, uncultivated region, especially:
a. A large tract of land that has not been significantly affected by human activities.
b. A tract of land officially protected from development and other high-impact human activities.
c. A barren or desolate area; a wasteland.
2. Something characterized by bewildering vastness, perilousness, or unchecked profusion: a wilderness of unknown city streets; a wilderness of voices.
3. A state of neglect, powerlessness, or disfavor: "The failure of the Clinton health plan in 1994 opened the door to the Republicans' capture of Congress after forty years in the wilderness" (Jacob S. Hacker).