Orwellian

American

[awr-wel-ee-uhn] / ɔrˈwɛl i ən /

adjective

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of George Orwell or the totalitarian future described in his antiutopian novel 1984 (1949).

Etymology

Origin of Orwellian

1945–50; after G. Orwell ( def. ) + -ian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Orwellian

These examples are Orwellian in nature and couldn’t be more antithetical to a society that values freedom of expression.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

In Leavitt’s usage, “transparency” has become a form of Orwellian “doublespeak,” a word or phrase which through the process of “doublethink” had come to encompass its exact opposite meaning.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025

However, civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch branded the scheme "Orwellian" and urged MPs to reject plans.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025

In an era where the term hadn’t been hijacked beyond all reasonable definition, you could even refer to them as Orwellian.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2023

So then we had a genial argument about Orwellian socialism.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023