Arcadian

[ ahr-key-dee-uhn ]

/ ɑrˈkeɪ di ən /

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adjective

(often lowercase) rural, rustic, or pastoral, especially suggesting simple, innocent contentment: They shared the desire to live off the land and lead a life of Arcadian bliss.

noun

a native of Arcadia.

the dialect of ancient Greek spoken in Arcadia.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of Arcadian

First recorded in 1580–90; Arcadi(a) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Arcadian

Ar·ca·di·an·ism, nounAr·ca·di·an·ly, adverb

Words nearby Arcadian

arca, arcade, arcaded, arcade game, Arcadia, Arcadian, Arcadic, Arcado-Cyprian, Arcady, arcana, arcane

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Arcadian in a sentence

Old Warrender would lean on his daisy-spud a pleased spectator of the Arcadian scene.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Michael often looked back to that first term in the Lower Third as a period of Arcadian simplicity, a golden age.
Sinister Street, vol. 1|Compton Mackenzie
The only wind instrument existing among them is the Pibbegwon, a kind of flute, resembling in simplicity the Arcadian pipe.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
Trees, rocks, broken sunlight, and a summer breeze made the little scene quite Arcadian.
The Hero of Manila|Rossiter Johnson

Vereker thinks of Sally's putative parents, the Arcadian shepherdess and the thunderbolt.
Somehow Good|William de Morgan

British Dictionary definitions for Arcadian

Arcadian

/ (ɑːˈkeɪdɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Arcadia or its inhabitants, esp the idealized Arcadia of pastoral poetry

rustic or bucolica life of Arcadian simplicity

noun

an inhabitant of Arcadia

a person who leads or prefers a quiet simple rural life

Derived forms of Arcadian

Arcadianism, 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