wisteria

noun

wis·​te·​ria wi-ˈstir-ē-ə How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
variants or less commonly wistaria
wi-ˈstir-ē-ə How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
also
-ˈster- How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
: any of a genus (Wisteria) of mostly woody leguminous vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that have pinnately compound leaves and long racemes of showy blue, white, purple, or rose papilionaceous flowers and that include several (such as W. sinensis and W. floribunda) grown as ornamentals

Illustration of wisteria

Illustration of wisteria

Examples of wisteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From lush turquoise to romantic wisteria. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 22 June 2026 Outside, a storybook walkway covered in wisteria links the main residence to the barn. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 June 2026 Inside, the tables are set with thousands of candles and a sea of white roses in tall vases reaching toward the 25-foot ceiling strung with pearls and wisteria. — Ani Duzdabanyan, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 The new iteration of the tiny club has a jungle-meets-the-shires feel with palm trees, vines and dangling wisteria and serves electric bright cocktails like frozen hibiscus margaritas. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wisteria

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Wisteria, from Caspar Wistar †1818 American physician

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wisteria was in 1842

Rhymes for wisteria

See All Rhymes for wisteria

Browse Nearby Words

Wister
wisteria
wistful
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wisteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisteria. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

wisteria

noun
wis·​te·​ria wis-ˈtir-ē-ə How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
variants also wistaria
-ˈtir-ē-ə How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
also
-ˈter- How to pronounce wisteria (audio)
: any of a genus of mostly woody vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that belong to the legume family and have leaves with numerous leaflets and showy blue, white, purple, or rose flowers in long hanging clusters
Etymology

named for Caspar Wistar 1761–1818 American physician

More from Merriam-Webster on wisteria

Nglish: Translation of wisteria for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wisteria

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