Utopia

[ yoo-toh-pee-uh ]

noun

1. an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's Utopia (1516) as enjoying perfection in law, politics, etc.
2. (usually lowercase) an ideal place or state.
3. (usually lowercase) any visionary system of political or social perfection.

Utopia

/ juːˈtəʊpɪə /

noun

1. sometimes not capital any real or imaginary society, place, state, etc, considered to be perfect or ideal

Utopia

1. (1516) A book by Sir Thomas More that describes an imaginary ideal society free of poverty and suffering. The expression utopia is coined from Greek words and means “no place.”

Notes

By extension, a “utopia” is any ideal state.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Utopia¹

< New Latin (1516) < Greek ou not + tóp ( os ) a place + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of Utopia¹

C16: from New Latin Utopia (coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516 as the title of his book that described an imaginary island representing the perfect society), literally: no place, from Greek ou not + topos a place

Example Sentences

And the capital city is a veritable utopia of acceptance and integration.

From The Daily Beast

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is building a tech utopia out of the rubble of downtown Las Vegas.

From The Daily Beast

Founded as a utopia where possessions, childcare, and love were communal, traditional family structures were banned.

From The Daily Beast

He was so disappointed with communism that he decided that the Khomeini utopia was the right one!

From The Daily Beast

Utopia for Beginners Joshua Foer, The New Yorker An amateur linguist loses control of the language he invented.

From The Daily Beast

Their dominion was an Utopia; and had it been possible to shut out every European and every wild Indian, it might have lasted.

From Project Gutenberg

Within a few hours friendly relations had been established between the natives and the readers of Utopia.

From Project Gutenberg

He was on a planet that seemed, at first glance, to be a utopia.

From Project Gutenberg

More actually wrote to Warham and to another friend that the Utopia had been printed without his knowledge.

From Project Gutenberg

Utopia I know is very rich in splendid scenery, but unfortunately it partakes much of the nature of the mirage.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bliss
• paradise