In this opinion piece, we consider the meaning of the term ‘wild type’ in the context of microbiology. This is especially pertinent in the post-genomic era, where we have a greater awareness of species diversity than ever before. Genomic heterogeneity, in vitro evolution/selection pressures, definition of ‘the wild’, the size and importance of the pan-genome, gene–gene interactions (epistasis), and the nature of the ‘wild-type gene’ are all discussed. We conclude that wild type is an outdated and even misleading phrase that should be gradually phased out.