- untamed; wild
- having returned to a wild condition
- savage; fierce
Origin of feral
Medieval Latin feralis from Classical Latin fera, wild animal from ferus, fierce + -al
A feral dog.
The definition of feral is something or someone in a wild state or resembling a wild animal.
An example of something that would be described as feral is an undomesticated cat that scratches and claws if you come near it.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral
feral
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral
adjective
- a. Having returned to an untamed state from domestication: a pack of feral dogs.b. Existing in a wild or untamed state.
- Of or suggestive of a wild animal; savage: a feral grin.
Origin of feral
From Latin fera wild animal from ferus wild ; see ghwer- in Indo-European roots.THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral
Existing in a wild or untamed state, either naturally or having returned to such a state from domestication.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral
Adjective
(comparative more feral, superlative most feral)
Noun
(plural ferals)
- A domesticated animal that has returned to the wild; an animal, particularly a domesticated animal, living independently of humans.
- (Australia, colloquial) A contemptible young person, a lout, a person who behaves wildly.
- (Australia, colloquial) A person who has isolated themselves from the outside world; one living an alternative lifestyle.
Usage notes
- The term should not be confused with feral child, a child raised with little or no human assistance.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral
feral - Medical Definition
adj.
- Having returned to an untamed state from domestication: a pack of feral dogs.
- Existing in a wild or untamed state.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"feral." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral>.
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feral. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/feral
Sentence Examples
- The feral fauna was once rather varied.
- "It was one of Kris's warriors," he said, his voice lowering into another feral growl.
- She barely recognized the feral look on his face, and despair slid through her.
- Feral pigs are numerous in New Zealand.
- I'm a feral Texan.
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