Ruritania
Americannoun
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a mythical, romantic kingdom conceived as the setting for a fairy tale, costume drama, comic operetta, or the like.
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Facetious. any small, little-known country or region considered remote, backward, or exotic.
noun
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an imaginary kingdom of central Europe: setting of several novels by English novelist Anthony Hope (1863–1933), esp The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)
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any setting of adventure, romance, and intrigue
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Ruritania
After the fictional Central European kingdom in the novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) by A. Hope
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.
Court followers foil a plot by having a British look-alike pose as the king of Ruritania.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2019
Court followers foil a royal plot by having a look-alike English tourist pose as the king of Ruritania.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2019
Suppose, notionally, that you're Prince Boris Buzzoffsky of Ruritania and your last wife but three has posted a letter in the Hentzau Gazette accusing you of cheating at dominoes.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 11, 2012
The principality of Neuberg is just two blocks to the right from Ruritania and around the corner from Graustark.
From Time Magazine Archive
What are the feelings of the captain of a Ruritania when he goes to the yards to take over a War Whistler?
From Merchantmen-at-arms : the British merchants' service in the war by Bone, David W. (David William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
