Phrase guide

Wild West

name · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

name

Meaning 1

The western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement, commonly believed to be lawless and unruly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails, especially due to a lack of regulatory oversight or an inadequate legal system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of Wild West

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the western United States during its frontier period

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: West, western United States

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: Wilde Weste — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Catalan: Far West — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Chinese Mandarin: 舊西部 /旧西部 (Jiùxībù) — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Dutch: Wilde Westen — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Esperanto: Sovaĝa Okcidento — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Esperanto: Malnova Okcidento — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Esperanto: Fora Okcidento — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Finnish: Villi länsi — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • French: Far West — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Georgian: ველური დასავლეთი (veluri dasavleti) — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • German: Wilder Westen — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Greek: Άγρια Δύση (Ágria Dýsi) — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Hungarian: Vadnyugat — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Indonesian: Barat Jauh — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Italian: Far West — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Polish: Dziki Zachód — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Portuguese: Velho Oeste — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Romanian: Vestul Sălbatic — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Russian: Ди́кий За́пад (Díkij Západ) — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Spanish: Lejano Oeste — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Swedish: vilda västern — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Turkish: Vahşi Batı — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Ukrainian: Ди́кий За́хід (Dýkyj Záxid) — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Vietnamese: Viễn Tây — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Welsh: Gorllewin Gwyllt — the western United States during the 19th-century era of settlement
  • Danish: det vilde vesten — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Dutch: Wilde Westen — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Finnish: villi länsi — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • French: far west — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • French: bordel — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • French: cirque — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • French: foutoir — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Galician: salvaxe oeste — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Hungarian: vadnyugat — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Indonesian: tanah biadab — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Norwegian Bokmål: villvest — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: villvest — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Polish: Dziki Zachód — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Portuguese: faroeste — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Swedish: vilda västern — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails
  • Swedish: High Chaparral — a place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails