adjective
feral
FAIR-ul/ˈferəl/
Wild and free from domestication or social restraint.
The feral cat carries prey to its kittens in their rough outdoor den.
Etymology
French feral meant “wild,” and English initially used the word broadly for wild or undomesticated things. Its common later sense singles out animals living wild after escaping domestication.
In context
some horses get free rep reduced so now we have wild feral horses in the Americas
More examples
- Feral pigs root through the farmer's fields at night.
- These feral horses descend from animals that escaped captivity.
- After hours indoors, the children seem almost feral.
Similar words
- wild
- Broader term that does not suggest a domesticated ancestry.
- untamed
- Emphasizes not being trained, subdued, or brought under control.