wildcard
wildcard Lexical Profile
wildcard Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A special symbol, such as an asterisk or question mark, used in computing and database searches to represent one or more unspecified characters.
"You can use an asterisk as a wildcard to search for all files with the same extension."
A person or thing whose behavior, influence, or outcome is unpredictable and could have a decisive impact on a situation.
"Independent voters are the biggest wildcard in the upcoming municipal election."
A player or team allowed to enter a sporting competition or playoff without qualifying through the standard rankings or regular season results.
"The tennis player was awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the tournament after recovering from an injury."
A playing card, such as a joker, that can be assigned any value, suit, or rank at the holder's discretion during a game.
"In this variation of poker, the deuce acts as a wildcard that can complete any hand."
• adjective
Entering a competition or tournament without having qualified through the normal ranking or play-off process.
"The unseeded rookie made it to the finals as a wildcard entrant."
Having an unpredictable, unknown, or variable quality or effect.
"Changing weather patterns remain a wildcard factor in this year's agricultural forecast."
Word Nuance & Usage
In computing and regular expressions, the solid form 'wildcard' is standard, whereas in card games, sports tournaments, and figurative contexts, the open form 'wild card' remains widely preferred.