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The term “wilderness” has several dimensions. It is used as a biological descriptor for intact or largely intact areas that have little or no industrial infrastructure and are remote from urban areas. It is also used as a protected area classification for areas corresponding to Category 1b—wilderness areas in IUCN's protected areas classification system. And finally, the term “wilderness” captures human relationships with wild places—from Indigenous Peoples who view wilderness not as a thing apart but as “home” to sacred natural sites to areas where urban populations recreate. Crucially, wilderness areas are not places where people are excluded, but rather places where certain human activities are restricted or not allowed. Wilderness areas around the world are shrinking quickly and are increasingly rare, and conservation of Earth's remaining wilderness is urgently needed: they are indispensable for biodiversity conservation, for climate change mitigation and adaptation, for freshwater quality—and many other ecosystem services—and for the protection of cultural integrity and biocultural landscapes as well as livelihoods.