Wild West

noun

variants or less commonly wild west
1
the Wild West : the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness
stories about the Wild West
2
: something that is chaotic and uncontrolled especially due to a lack of regulation or oversight
… mulling the idea of regulating an industry that has up until now been something of a Wild West.—Michelle McQuigg
The online ecosystem … is a Wild West of information and misinformation that is largely unmonitored, distributed in an instant, and posted by anyone.—Alan Marcus
Wild West adjective
or less commonly wild west
a bar with a Wild West theme
a wild west situation/approach

Examples of Wild West in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instituting eight principles through state laws (since states generally oversee surrogacy) would greatly help provide basic order to this Wild West. — Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 The Wild West was even then a myth receding into a hazy, heroic past. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 With the help of good friend Pollack, Rydell got a job helming episodes of Ben Casey, then directed for other shows including I Spy,The Wild Wild West, The Fugitive and Gunsmoke. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026 There’s a lot to unpack in the dime novel origins of the Western, as well as the dime novel to Wild West show pipeline, which was instrumental in creating global legends out of folk heroes like Buffalo Bill Cody. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Wild West

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Wild West was in 1833

Rhymes for Wild West

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Browse Nearby Words

wild wall
Wild West
wild wheat
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Cite this Entry

“Wild West.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wild%20West. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Wild West

noun
: the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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