virgin territory

Land never touched

Virgin territory is land or a field of inquiry that has never been explored, developed, or exploited.

The phrase draws on virgin's sense of untouched or pristine: The Arctic remained virgin territory until the twentieth century.

Figuratively, it describes any area where no one has ventured: Combining jazz with electronica was virgin territory in the 1990s.

unexplored

uncharted

Not yet documented

unmapped · unknown · exploration · pioneer · trailblazing · pathfinder · expedition · discovery · venture · foray

undeveloped

pristine

Pure and untouched

raw · uncultivated · unfarmed · uninhabited · natural · fallow · undeveloped · greenfield · unused · unclaimed

Categories
Opposites
human development/settlement

virgin territorybuilt-up area

Densely developed zone

urban sprawl · civilization · metropolis · farmland · industrial zone

exploration/knowledge

virgin territorybeaten path

Much-traveled route

covered ground · old hat · conventional wisdom

Family

virgin, territory, virginal, virginity, virgins, territorial, territories, territorially, territoriality

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG