dystopia

[ dis-toh-pee-uh ]
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noun
  1. a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

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Origin of dystopia

1
First recorded in 1865–70; dys- + (U)topia

Other words from dystopia

  • dys·to·pi·an, adjective
  • dys·to·pi·an·ism, noun

Words Nearby dystopia

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How to use dystopia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dystopia

dystopia

/ (dɪsˈtəʊpɪə) /


noun
  1. an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be

Origin of dystopia

1
C19 (coined by John Stuart Mill): from dys- + Utopia

Derived forms of dystopia

  • dystopian, adjective, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012