WILD CARD | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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English (US)

Meaning of wild card in English

wild card
noun [ C ]
(also wildcard)
us
/ˈwaɪld ˌkɑːrd/ uk
/ˈwaɪld ˌkɑːd/

wild card noun [C] (IN CARD GAME)

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a playing card that does not have any particular value but that can be used to represent any other card:
The joker is a wild card that substitutes for any other card to complete a winning hand.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Card games
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wild card noun [C] (COMPUTING)

computing   specialized
in computers, a symbol that has no particular meaning of its own so that its space can be filled by any real character that is necessary:
The wild cards are represented here by asterisks.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Computer concepts
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wild card noun [C] (COMPETITION)

someone who is allowed to take part in a competition, even though they have not achieved this in the usual way, for example by winning games:
Phillips is hoping for a wild card entry to the championships.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Competitors & participants in sports & games
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wild card noun [C] (NOT KNOWN)

someone or something whose behavior is sometimes unexpected:
Michigan is the wild card in this election - the polls show the two candidates with an almost equal share of the votes.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Uncertainty
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
(Definition of wild card from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

wild card | Intermediate English

wild card
noun [ C ]
us/ˈwɑɪld ˌkɑrd/

wild card noun [C] (ANY VALUE)

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(in some card games) a card that can be used instead of any other:
fig. Undecided voters are this election’s wild card.

wild card noun [C] (CHANCE TO PLAY)

(in sports) an extra opportunity to qualify for a championship competition
(Definition of wild card from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

wild card | Business English

wild card
noun [ C ]
uk
us
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someone or something whose behaviour or effect is uncertain:
US consumer confidence remains the wild card in the unpredictable economic climate.
IT, INTERNET
a symbol used in computer programs to represent any number or letter:
The wild cards in this string are represented by asterisks.
(Definition of wild card from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of wild card

wild card
The only real wild card is water, which can always be manipulated with a little chemical know-how.
From Slate Magazine
One wild card for how disastrous this century will become is climate change.
From Slate Magazine
He anchored a pitching staff that would have been in the playoffs numerous times if the wild card had existed in his era.
From ESPN
Don't add another wild card and a hokey one-game playoff -- just eliminate the wild card.
From ESPN
Another wild card is the reaction from nonresidents.
From Los Angeles Times
She was the true definition of a wild card.
From Gizmodo
But that's a wild card that we can't afford to play.
From CBS News
Tune in to see the top 10 -- that is, if they make it just 10 and keep themselves from announcing a wild card.
From Billboard
Now, they're kind of this wild card in terms of gameplay.
From VentureBeat
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
What is the pronunciation of wild card?
 

Translations of wild card

in Chinese (Traditional)
百搭牌，變牌, 計算, （電腦中的）萬用字元…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
百搭牌，变牌, 计算, （计算机中的）通配符…
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in Spanish
comodín [masculine, singular]…
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in Portuguese
curinga, símbolo curinga, elemento imprevisto…
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in more languages
in Polish
in Turkish
in French
in Norwegian
in Russian
(globalny) znak zastępczy…
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bilgisayarda herhangi bir harfi ya da harf dizisini belirten işaret…
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joker [masculine]…
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jokertegn [neuter]…
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универсальный символ…
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