arcadia

noun

ar·​ca·​dia är-ˈkā-dē-ə How to pronounce arcadia (audio)
often capitalized
: a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet

Examples of arcadia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What started as a public safety initiative has become a radical oddity, a small arcadia governed by militant environmentalism in the heart of avocado country. Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 Unlike most dreams, Goodhue’s vision of a Spanish arcadia — in keeping with romantic visions of California as depicted in early-20th century fiction, tourism and Sunkist orange crate labels — did not fade away. Dirk Sutro, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2023 Splendor is a bohemian arcadia nestled among desert, removed from the mainstream in an act of defiance that requires little explanation. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2023 My approach to journalism, to life, in this dirtbag arcadia, is that of an amateur anthropologist, and not the stuffy old kind who held themselves at a reserve, keeping clean while taking notes. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023 In addition to creating a lively avian arcadia, the exhibition seeks to bring awareness to the various threats birds face and to comment on the fragility of the natural world. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 17 June 2022 When the bulldozer returned a few days later, Ms. Park confronted it again, but this time she was joined by dozens of her neighbors in the south Indian arcadia of Auroville. New York Times, 5 Mar. 2022 The spareness feels like richness, an arcadia of silence and stillness that trains our attention on the actors’ every word and gesture. Elaine Blair, The New York Review of Books, 17 Dec. 2020 Reading becomes our temporary escape—our own arcadia. Tess Taylor, WSJ, 7 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arcadia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arcadia, region of ancient Greece frequently chosen as background for pastoral poetry

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arcadia was in 1847

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Dictionary Entries Near arcadia

Cite this Entry

“Arcadia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcadia. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Arcadia

geographical name

Ar·​ca·​dia är-ˈkā-dē-ə How to pronounce Arcadia (audio)
1
city in southwestern California east-northeast of Los Angeles population 56,364
2
mountainous region of southern Greece in the central part of the Peloponnese

see also arcadian sense 2

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