feral

1
[ feer-uhl, fer- ]
See synonyms for feral on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild.

  2. having reverted to the wild state, as from domestication: a pack of feral dogs roaming the woods.

  1. of or characteristic of wild animals; ferocious; brutal.

Origin of feral

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin ferālis “bestial, wild,” from Latin fer(a) “wild beast” + -ālis -al1

Words Nearby feral

Other definitions for feral (2 of 2)

feral2
[ feer-uhl, fer- ]

adjective
  1. causing death; fatal.

  2. funereal; gloomy.

Origin of feral

2
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin fērālis “of the dead, funerary, fatal”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use feral in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for feral (1 of 2)

feral1

/ (ˈfɪərəl, ˈfɛr-) /


adjective
  1. Also: ferine (of animals and plants) existing in a wild or uncultivated state, esp after being domestic or cultivated

  2. Also: ferine savage; brutal

  1. Australian derogatory, slang (of a person) tending to be interested in environmental issues and having a rugged, unkempt appearance

noun
  1. Australian derogatory, slang a person who displays such tendencies and appearance

  2. Australian slang disgusting

  1. Australian slang excellent

Origin of feral

1
C17: from Medieval Latin ferālis, from Latin fera a wild beast, from ferus savage

British Dictionary definitions for feral (2 of 2)

feral2

/ (ˈfɪərəl, ˈfɛr-) /


adjectivearchaic
  1. astrology associated with death

  2. gloomy; funereal

Origin of feral

2
C17: from Latin fērālis relating to corpses; perhaps related to ferre to carry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for feral

feral

[ fîrəl, fĕr- ]


  1. Existing in a wild or untamed state, either naturally or having returned to such a state from domestication.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.