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 formsRu·ri·ta·ni·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.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.
Punch, or The London Charivari, Vol. 150, May 31, 1916|Various
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

Word Origin and History for ruritanian

Ruritanian

adj.

"utopian," 1896, from Ruritania, name of an imaginary kingdom in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1894) by Anthony Hope (1863-1933), who coined it from Latin rus (genitive ruris) "country" (see rural) + Latinate ending -itania (cf. Mauritania).