Utopia

[ yoo-toh-pee-uh ]

noun

1. an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's Utopia (1516) as enjoying perfection in law, politics, etc.
2. (usually lowercase) an ideal place or state.
3. (usually lowercase) any visionary system of political or social perfection.

Utopia

/ juːˈtəʊpɪə /

noun

1. sometimes not capital any real or imaginary society, place, state, etc, considered to be perfect or ideal

Utopia

1. (1516) A book by Sir Thomas More that describes an imaginary ideal society free of poverty and suffering. The expression utopia is coined from Greek words and means “no place.”

Notes

By extension, a “utopia” is any ideal state.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Utopia¹

< New Latin (1516) < Greek ou not + tóp ( os ) a place + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of Utopia¹

C16: from New Latin Utopia (coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516 as the title of his book that described an imaginary island representing the perfect society), literally: no place, from Greek ou not + topos a place

Example Sentences

The marvelous Utopia Orchestra in the pit was composed of leading players from top European ensembles.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year he scored his first UK number one album with Utopia, which was released a week after a planned show in front of Egypt's pyramids was cancelled.

From BBC

In music, the most successful releases for the latest quarter included SZA’s “SOS” and Travis Scott’s “Utopia,” while Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” recently reached No. 1 on Billboard and other nations’ rankings.

From Seattle Times

"Travis Scott's Utopia - Circus Maximus Tour is set to continue this summer with a headline performance here at Co-op Live on 13 July 2024," the Manchester venue posted on social media.

From BBC

“Check to see if recent guests have posted any negative reviews,” advises Pete Evering, a business development manager at Utopia Property Management, a rental management company.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bliss
• paradise