meaning of the wandering

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wan•der•ing

• evagation - Means mental wandering or digression, also a digression in speech or writing.
• mundivagant - Means "wandering around the world."
• vagation - The action of wandering, straying, or departing from the proper or regular course.
• wanderjahr - Literally German for "wander year," it refers to a year of wandering or travel.

wan·der·ing

• bird of passage
• Diomedea exulans
• Wanamaker John
• Wanchüan
• Wand of peace
• Wanda Landowska
• wander about or around
• wander back
• wander plug
• wandering albatross
• Wandering cell
• Wandering Jew
• Wandering kidney
• Wandering liver
• Wandering mouse
• wandering nerve
• Wandering spider
• wanderingly
• Wang An Shi
• Wang Jing Wei
• Wang Jingwei
• wander off from us
• wander off from you
• Wander, Karl Friedrich Wilhelm
• wandered about
• wandered around
• wandered away
• wandered away from
• wandered from
• wandered in
• wandered into
• wandered off
• wandered off from
• Wanderer Butterfly
• Wanderer Class Owners' Association
• Wanderers' Rest Humane Association
• wandering about
• wandering abscess
• wandering albatrosses
• wandering around
• Wandering Around Being Visible
• wandering atrial pacemaker
• wandering away
• wandering away from
• wandering cell
• wandering dune
• wandering erysipelas
• Wandering Eye
• wandering from
• Wandering Gallbladder
• wandering goiter
• Wandering Hand Trouble
• wandering hands
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wandering noun

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What does the noun wandering mean?

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun wandering . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

wandering has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun wandering ?

How is the noun wandering pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun wandering come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun wandering is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for wandering is from before 1300, in Cursor Mundi: a Northumbrian poem of the 14th century .

wandering is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: wander v. , ‑ing suffix 1 .

Nearby entries

• wandclot, n. 1397
• wanded, adj. 1567–
• wandelard, n. 1338
• wander, n. 1843–
• wander, v. Old English–
• wanderable, adj. 1906–
• wander-bird, n. 1924–
• wander-book, n. 1844–
• wandered, adj. c1420–
• wanderer, n. c1440–
• wandering, n. a1300–
• wandering, adj. Old English–
• wandering Jew, n. 1622–
• Wanderjahr, n. 1893–
• wanderlust, n. 1902–
• wanderment, n. 1597–1605
• Wanderobo, n. 1902–
• wanderoo, n. 1681–
• wander-plug, n. 1923–
• wander-soul, n. 1917–
• wander-spirit, n. 1927–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for wandering, n..

wandering, n. was first published in 1921; not yet revised.

wandering, n. was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into wandering, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1921)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View wandering, vbl. n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for wandering, n., browse entry.

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Definition of wander verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

Definition of 'wander'

Video: pronunciation of wander

wander in American English

Wander in british english, examples of 'wander' in a sentence wander, trends of wander.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically wander

• wand reader
• wander aimlessly
• wander alone
• wander an aisle
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'W'

Related terms of wander

• eyes wander
• wander plug
• polar wander
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Meaning of wandering in English

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wander verb ( MOVE AROUND )

• walk The baby has just learned to walk.
• stride She strode purposefully up to the desk and demanded to speak to the manager.
• march He marched right in to the office and demanded to see the governor.
• stroll We strolled along the beach.
• wander She wandered from room to room, not sure of what she was looking for.
• amble She ambled down the street, looking in shop windows.
• crawl There'd been a bad accident on the motorway and traffic was crawling.
• trundle Lorries trundle through the narrow lanes.
• creep He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise.
• trudge They trudged wearily through the snow.
• stroll We spent the afternoon strolling around Budapest.
• amble He ambled over to the window.
• Don't worry if you lose hold of the reins - the horse won't wander off.
• He wandered around, clearing up in a desultory way.
• We wandered along the shore , stepping over the flotsam that had washed up in the night .
• We wandered through the beautifully proportioned rooms of the Winter Palace.
• She was wandering around in a daze this morning .
• His eyes wandered over the posters adorning the walls .
• dumbwalking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

wander verb ( SUBJECT )

• bury the lede idiom
• candy coating
• candy-coated
• circumlocution
• circumlocutory
• gloss over something
• go off on a tangent idiom
• mealy-mouthed
• prevaricate
• unexpressed

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Synonyms of wander

• as in to roam
• as in to trespass
• as in stroll
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Thesaurus Definition of wander

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knock (about)
• gad (about)
• kick around
• mill (about or around)
• fall from grace
• break the law

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Thesaurus Definition of wander  (Entry 2 of 2)

• constitutional
• perambulation
• peregrination

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb wander contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wander are meander , ramble , roam , rove , and traipse . While all these words mean "to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose," wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

When might meander be a better fit than wander ?

The words meander and wander are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

When is ramble a more appropriate choice than wander ?

The meanings of ramble and wander largely overlap; however, ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

When would roam be a good substitute for wander ?

The words roam and wander can be used in similar contexts, but roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

When can rove be used instead of wander ?

While in some cases nearly identical to wander , rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

In what contexts can traipse take the place of wander ?

The synonyms traipse and wander are sometimes interchangeable, but traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

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Cite this entry.

“Wander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wander. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on wander

Nglish: Translation of wander for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of wander for Arabic Speakers

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Money Report

Jeff Bezos isn't a fan of ‘time blocking'—here's what he does instead to boost his productivity

By ashton jackson,cnbc • published april 24, 2024 • updated 6 hours ago.

Jeff Bezos doesn't jam-pack his schedule or set strict time blocks for all his meetings.

Instead, the 60-year-old Amazon and Blue Origin founder — currently the second-richest person in the world, according to Forbes — gives himself and his teams ample time for creative thinking, he told the "Lex Fridman Podcast."

"I don't keep to a strict schedule," Bezos said, in an episode first released in December 2023. "My meetings often go longer than I plan for them to, because I believe in [mind] wandering."

For example, Bezos makes time during meetings for people to bounce ideas off each other, no matter how small or spontaneous, he said — a process he called a "messy meeting." Those sessions usually don't have a set end time, he added.

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"When I sit down [in] a meeting, I don't know how long the meeting is going to take if we're trying to solve a problem," Bezos said. "The reality is we may have to wander for a long time ... I think there's certainly nothing more fun than sitting at a whiteboard with a group of smart people and spit-balling and coming up with new ideas and objections to those ideas, and then solutions to the objections and going back and forth."

He added that "a lot of people feel like wandering is inefficient," but studies show that a divergent mind can actually boost a person's productivity, creativity and happiness.

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Mind wandering vs. time blocking.

Some productivity experts swear by the time blocking method, which involves blocking out specific amounts of time on your calendar for every task you need to accomplish each day — sometimes even including meal breaks and coffee chats.

But the strategy can leave you feeling stressed and burned out , Yale University psychology professor  Laurie Santos told attendees at SXSW in March. Meanwhile, a 2016 study of more than 200 college students found that their creativity significantly improved when allowing their minds to wander.

If you're the kind of person who gets overwhelmed by a packed schedule, carving out time to allow your mind to wander could help you come up with ideas you might not have considered on a more structured schedule — provided you do it effectively rather than simply zoning out, psychologist Jill Suttie wrote for the University of California Berkeley's "Greater Good" magazine in 2018.

When a problem arises in the workplace or at school, take some time that's free from distractions — like your phone or a string of unread emails — and try to come up with an array of solutions, both big and small, then bounce them off of your colleagues to round them out, Suttie wrote. It may sound counterintuitive, but taking a break from your work routine to let your mind wander can sometimes be the most effective way to solve a problem that's otherwise left you feeling stuck.

"Under the right circumstances, a wandering mind may actually benefit us and possibly those around us," Suttie wrote. "The trick is to know when to set your mind free."

Bezos' approach to mind wandering

Bezos lets his mind wander to consider the pros and cons of his own ideas. Once they've survived his own "first level of scrutiny," he presents them to others for a productive group brainstorm to help the idea take shape.

For Bezos, that initial "intuition" is a jumping-off point that can lead to more exploration with other people. The results can be both "fun" and productive, as you work together to take a potential creative solution and figure out how to make it work in reality, he said.

"I will often say, 'Look, it is going to be really easy for you to find objections to this idea, but work with me...'" Bezos told Fridman. "Because it's really easy to kill new ideas in the beginning. So, you need to forewarn people and say, 'I know it's going to take a lot of work to get this to a fully formed idea. Let's get started on that. It'll be fun.'"

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This article tagged under:

Wander vs. Wonder: How To Use Each Word

• Wonder Vs. Wander

⚡ Quick summary

The verb wander (pronounced [ won -der ]) typically means “to roam” or “to meander.” The word wonder (pronounced [ wuhn -der ]) is typically used as a verb to mean “to think curiously,” “to be amazed,” or “to doubt.” As a noun, it’s used to mean “something strange and surprising,” “a miraculous deed or event,” or “the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising.”   

The words wander and wonder look very similar, but they have very different meanings and uses. 

In this article, we will define wander and wonder , explain how we use them differently, and provide example sentences that show how we typically use them in sentences. 

wonder  vs. wander

The word wonder (pronounced [ wuhn -der ]) is used as a verb and a noun. As a verb, it typically means “to think curiously,” “to be amazed,” or “to doubt.” 

For example:

• I wonder what will happen at the party this weekend. 
• They wondered at the amazing acrobatics of the circus performers.
• I wonder if Oscar can really speak Spanish like he claims. 

Wonder is also used as a noun to mean “something strange and surprising,” “a miraculous deed or event,” or “the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising.” 

• The collection was filled with wonders from around the world. 
• The magician was able to perform such wonders as turning dirt into gold. 
• We were filled with wonder as we watched the firework show. 

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The word wander (pronounced [ won -der ]) is typically used as a verb to mean “to move about without a set path, to roam,” “to follow a circuitous route, to meander,” and “to take a direction without conscious intent, as with thoughts,” as well as several other similar meanings. 

• She wandered through the woods for a while before she found a lake.
• The story started out good, but then it wandered off into a confusing mess. 
• He was so bored that his mind began to wander into thoughts of lunch.

It is possible to use the word wander as a noun, but this usage is rare. Instead, the noun sense of wandering is much more likely to be used. By contrast, both the noun and verb sense of wonder are commonly used.  

Examples of wander and wonder in a sentence

Let’s amble into some amazing sentences that show how we typically use wander and wonder .

• They got lost on the way to the pool and wandered into the sauna. 
• As a kid, I always wondered about how different machines worked.
• The president wandered off on a tangent about pizza before getting back to his speech. 
• The wizard’s tower was full of magical wonders, including a flying carpet. 
• We were full of wonder as we wandered through the science museum.

Don't wander off course when learning how to distinguish "coarse" from "course."

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[ gal- uh - maw -free ]

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