panopticon
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of panopticon
1760–70; pan- + Greek optikón sight, seeing (neuter of optikós; see optic)
Explanation
If your school is designed as a panopticon, it means that if you stand in the middle of the building, you can see every single classroom. Use the noun panopticon to talk about a circular building — especially a prison with cells distributed around a central surveillance station. Eighteenth century philosopher Jeremy Bentham dreamed up the idea and was kind enough to bequeath us the word as well, from the Greek pan, or "all," and optikon, "of or for sight."
Vocabulary lists containing panopticon
Common Senses: Op, Ops, Opt ("Sight")
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
For National Pancake Day, Words With the Greek Roots "Pan-"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It was built in 1877 in the form of a panopticon, giving a central guardhouse a clear view to all corners of the "wheel".
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2023
In the new novel, Bix, now center stage, invents a panopticon, Own Your Unconscious, which allows one to enter other people’s memories.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2022
Classic views of surveillance envision a prison state – a Big Brother-esque panopticon where a guard in a tower can watch prisoners in cells but the prisoners in the cells cannot see into the tower.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2022
At the center of the neighborhood looms a gigantic honeycomb structure, a metal panopticon called, with perfect blandness, the Vessel.
From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2020
Two and a half more years until I could get free from this panopticon they called high school, these monsters they called people.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
