Ruritania
[ roo r-i-tey-nee-uh, roo r-i-tey- ]
/ ˌrʊər ɪˈteɪ ni ə, ˈrʊər ɪˌteɪ- /
|
noun
a mythical, romantic kingdom conceived as the setting for a fairy tale, costume drama, comic operetta, or the like.
Facetious. any small, little-known country or region considered remote, backward, or exotic.
Origin of Ruritania
after the fictional Central European kingdom in the novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) by A. Hope
Related forms
Ru·ri·ta·ni·an, adjective, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ruritanian
"You have heard me speak of the Ruritanian Relief Fund," she said in a splendid off-hand tone.
To return to our Ruritanian loan, which we left being underwritten.
International Finance|Hartley Withers
British Dictionary definitions for ruritanian (1 of 2)
Ruritanian
/ (ˌrʊərɪˈteɪnɪən, -njən) /
adjective
of or relating to Ruritania
involving adventure, romance, and intrigue
noun
a native or inhabitant of Ruritania
British Dictionary definitions for ruritanian (2 of 2)
Ruritania
/ (ˌrʊərɪˈteɪnɪə, -njə) /
noun
an imaginary kingdom of central Europe: setting of several novels by English novelist Anthony Hope (1863–1933), esp The Prisoner of Zenda (1894)
any setting of adventure, romance, and intrigue
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